Two Races
by The Evil Fishy
Summary: Xellos entered a contest, draging along his favorite little dragon. ***FINALLY COMPLETED*** ***EPILOGUE***
1. The Contest

Crystal: It's updated!!! Yay!! It's (I hope) is better then the other one. Longer, at least. More detail.  
  
Disclaimer: The first and only one for this story. I don't own Slayers.  
  
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Xellos blipped in and looked around. He dicided to go the easy way.  
  
"Hello?" he called. His voice echoed off the walls of the hall. There wasn't much it in, anyways. There were twenty or so gargoyle statues lining the walls near the ceiling. I was hiding behind another statue, on of Ceipheed. There were no lights, only sunlight that poured in from the doorway. Xellos shrugged and teleported away. I looked on the other side of the Ceipheed statue and saw Xellos, snoozing gently against the back of a gargoyle. Soon, I heard footsteps. I looked over the top of my satue to see someone walking in. Filia. She stopped in the middle of the hall and looked at the piece of paper she was holding.  
  
"Hello?" she called, like Xellos. "Hello? Anyone here?" That woke Xellos up. He looked around the gargoyle at Filia, and teleported down behind her. He floated silently above her back before tapping her on the shoulder. She whirled around. "What are you doing here?!?" Filia screamed at the ever- calm Mazoku. Xellos looked over at the enraged dragon.  
  
"I'm in a contest," Xellos replied.  
  
"Then what are you doing here? Wouldn't you be at your stupid contest?" Xellos pulled out a piece of paper and showed it to Filia. She gaped, slightly open mouthed at the letter, before dropping her own. Xellos scooped up Filia's letter before she could react.  
  
"My, my, my! We're in the same contest!" he said happily.  
  
"You signed me up, didn't you?!?" Filia yelled at him.  
  
"Now, now, Fi-chan! You don't think I did a thing like that, do you?"  
  
"YES I DO!!!!!!" Filia screamed. Her echoes seemed to shake the hall. I recoiled. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea? No, I needed a little break. See what other powers I could do... With a wave of me hand, the doors to the hall silently shut, but closed with a bang. Both of them jumped. "Oooh, this isn't good..."  
  
"Just be happy that it's me verses any other-"  
  
"HAPPY?!!? I'd rather do it with anyone else but you!!"  
  
"I was going to say Mazoku."  
  
"...Oh," Filia stuttered. Xellos was better then any other Mazoku. Filia blushed. I decided to cancel their little romantic moment. With another wave of my hand, torches long since aflame lit up. I quickly walked in front of the statue. "Who're you?"  
  
"The person who sent you those letters." Filia snatched hers back.  
  
"Who are you? Your name?"  
  
"Names are unimportant. What is important is why you are here. You are here for a contest, I presume?" Filia snorted. Xellos let himself fly up, cross- legged, and layed his staff across his legs.  
  
"What is the contest?" Xellos asked, putting Filia off-guard.  
  
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONTEST IS?!?!" Filia screamed.  
  
"I can't deny that I did sign up... but there's a great prize!" That did it. Filia blew.  
  
"YOU NAMAGOMI MAZOKU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Filia screamed. She grabbed her skirt.  
  
"Now, now, we must stop behaving like children..." Filia leered on me.  
  
"What do you mean 'acting like children'?!?!?"  
  
"..."  
  
"..."  
  
"Well?" Filia demanded.  
  
"Well, let's get this started!" I said, rubbing my hands together. "Switched races, coming right up!!" They both went white.  
  
"What the-" The two disappeared in a flash of light. 


	2. The Change

Filia groaned as she did the painful shift from unconsciousness to consciousness.  
  
"Ooh... ouch..." Filia felt her head. "I'm still alive...I think..." She felt like she was on fire. Filia ran a hand up her arm, wincing as the pain finally subsided. When most of the pain was gone, she opened her eyes, and yelped. Blackness was everywhere. Was she...? No, it couldn't be... She sat up and saw her clothes that seemed to be in regular light. But they couldn't be. She let out a small scream as she made sure she was dreaming. She dug a long nail into the inside of her wrist, and winced. Ah, she defiantly was awake. She hoped that it was only the darkness around her was what made her clothes so dark. Her pink dress was now a navy blue, and a deep one at that. Someone groaned a few meters away.  
  
"Who knew that a contest would hurt so much?" he moaned. "My body hurts, I hurt!" he whined. Filia looked at the lump in the blackness.  
  
"Xellos?" she whispered. Nothing. Filia was puzzeled. It looked like Xellos, but something didn't seem right. Neither did he look normal, nor did he sound to normal. Filia pulled out her mace and tapped it on supposedly-Xellos' head, with one of the spikes going into his ear. She bobbed him a few times before trying to drive her mace into the back of his neck. If she was right in saying that this contest was real and she was...well...and he was..., that would hurt. Filia poked a spike of her mace on a certain point on Xellos' neck. She saw a ripple of pain and shock make its course through Xellos' body before he jolted up.  
  
"Yeouch!! That hurt!" Xellos' eyes widened, as well as Filia's. She never heard Xellos complain about something hurting. In fact, he was supposed to like it... Filia leaned casually on her mace. "No, no, nonononononono, this can't happen!" Xellos whispered. "Just kill me now! Just kill me now! I can't live through this, just kill me now!!!" Filia released what he was saying and decided something.  
  
"No," Filia said. Xellos opened his eyes to show almost human ones. His face showed true surprise.  
  
"Wha? What? Why?" Filia smiled at his confusion.  
  
"I'm NOT going to give you what you want!" Filia said simply to the figure on the ground. Xellos wined again. Filia gave in. "All, right. If that's what you really want." Filia walked over to the "Mazoku" and held her mace high. His eyes went wide. As Filia brought her mace down, Xellos yelped and scattered out of the way, dropping his staff. Her mace hit the ground, making a clang, also making the "Mazoku now Ryuuzoku" jump. Filia leaned on her mace again, looking at Xellos, smiling. Xellos, still shaking of his near-death experience, crawled over to his staff and picked it up. He stood up, and looked at the mazoku's eyes, and shivered. They dared him to say something. I decided to sneak up on them again. I shed the invisibility disguise.  
  
"Hello, again," I said calmly. Xellos whirled around.  
  
"Change us back!" he yelled, his fear covered by his fury. I smiled at him.  
  
"Us?" Xellos released what he said and blushed. My smiled widened. "Now then, would you really want to give up that prize?"  
  
"YES!!!" he shot back at me.  
  
"I'm NOT going to change you back, but I will get you out of this darkness," I said. They both went slightly pale at that.  
  
"NO!!" they both yelled. I held out my hand and they disappeared.  
  
And reappeared in front of a restaurant. They looked at each other in confusion. Then they heard a familiar voice.  
  
"Oh, where the heck is a restaurant! I'm so hungry! Wait, is that one?" Lina Inverse, Dragon Spooker, looked ahead at a familiar building.  
  
"C'mon!" Filia whispered, grabbing Xellos' hand and dragged him into an alley next to the restaurant. She slammed him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him, then peeked around the corner. Lina and her blond, dim- witted companion darted into the building, leaving behind Amelia and Zelgadiss to walk in calmly. Filia had an idea. "Stay here," she whispered to Xellos, then teleported to the roof. Unfortunately, Zel heard something up on the roof. He looked up to see some golden hair flick out of sight. He looked for a few more seconds before continuing into the restaurant. Filia teleported back down were Xellos waited.  
  
"You're taking advantage of me!" he growled. Filia smiled.  
  
"Yep," she answered. Xellos sighed. This would be a long contest. 


	3. Discovered

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Zel spent over two hours eating (mostly Lina and Gourry). During that time, Filia and Xellos argued over what to do next in their "contest".  
  
"I'm really hungry," Xellos moaned, facing upward, trying to make himself more convensing.. He started to release the side effects of being a dragon. Filia looked at him in confusion.  
  
"I'm not," she said. She had to admit, feeding of negative emotions was pretty handy, and Xellos seemed to be a reservoir for them. Xellos glared at her.  
  
"I say you're taking advantage of this!" he growled. Filia had her hands behind her head as if she was on the beach, looking into the sky. She was deep in thought, and not interested in Xellos whining. Well, verbilly, it was a pain. She looked toward him and asked, "Huh?" Xellos gave up because Filia was obviously not interested. He heard the restaurant door open again, and he looked around the corner for the umpteenth time.  
  
"It's them," he whispered. Filia jumped on his back, her hands on his head, and looked herself. Xellos wasn't very happy in becoming a stepstool for the overactive girl and was about to say something when Filia whispered, "There're coming this way!" and jumped off his back, put her hands around his mouth, and pulled him back into the alley. Xellos was trying to back free of Filia's grip when she let go of him. Xellos fell with a soft "ooww". Filia ushered him to be quiet as she watched the group pass.  
  
"That was close," Filia said, almost loud enough for the other four to hear. Xellos stood up.  
  
"You idiot!" Xellos fumed. "They could've heard you!"  
  
~  
  
"I think I heard something," Zel said, his acute hearing picking up the conversation between Filia and Xellos.  
  
"What do you hear?" Amelia asked him. Zelgadiss blinked.  
  
"'That was close'. It sounded like Filia." Zel answered. Amelia gave him a confused look.  
  
"Miss Filia? What would she be doing here?"  
  
"I don't know. I think I heard it from the alley back there. I'll go check it out." Zel backed up and turned around to search.  
  
~  
  
"Oh, crud," Xellos whispered. He backed up, running into Filia.  
  
"Will you watch where you're going?" she asked impatiently, turning around.  
  
"Zelgadiss is coming."  
  
"Oh, crud," Filia pouted. "As if this can't get any worse." Xellos rolled his eyes. "Well I'm not sticking around any longer."  
  
"You can't teleport farther than fifteen feet from me," Xellos said with a smile.  
  
"What? Where'd you get a silly idea like that?" Filia started to panic a little.  
  
"That one sorceress person told me."  
  
"When was that?" Filia laughed silently.  
  
"When you weren't looking." Filia gave him a smudge look before closing her eyes. A shiver ran down her spine when she found out he was right.  
  
"If you teleported to the roof, he could still get you," Xellos said with a bigger smile. Even without feeding off her, it still was pleasant to see her panic. Filia went over the details in her head.  
  
"Well, I'm still hiding!" Filia pushed Xellos aside, causing him to fall down. Filia ran past him and dove behind a stack of boxes when Zel rounded the corner.  
  
"Eh heh, hi?" ~  
  
"I wonder what Mr. Zelgadiss found," Amelia wondered aloud, but not loud enough for Lina and Gourry to hear, who were currently chatting away.  
  
"What's that?" Lina asked, looking over her shoulder. Amelia shook her head.  
  
"Nothing." Amelia grinned to herself. Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry were getting along better then before. It made her wonder.  
  
~  
  
Zelgadiss' eyes scanned the figure that was Xellos.  
  
"Eh, heh, hi?" Xellos asked, trying to make himself as inconspicuios as possible. Zel started laughing silently. Xellos sweatdropped.  
  
"What happened to you?" Zel asked, recovering slowly.  
  
"Er, long story," Xellos said, standing up, then bending down to retrieve his staff.  
  
"What are you doing here," Zel demanded, suddenly serious.  
  
"Truthfully, I haven't got a clue," Xellos answered, backing up a little. Xellos looked beyond Zel and saw Filia, tiptoeing away.  
  
"Where're you going?!" he shouted at Filia, jumping up. She stopped and looked over her shoulder. She was scared, alright. Zel turned around and saw Filia. His eyes widened in shock.  
  
"What's going on?" Zel asked.  
  
"Nothing, nothing," Xellos said, pushing Zel out of the alley. With a final push, Xellos retreated back into the alley with a final yell, "Remember, none of this happened!!!" Xellos ran to Filia. "Get us out of here!" he whispered. Filia shrugged, and put a hand on Xellos' shoulder, and teleported out. 


	4. Afterthoughts

"What was that all about?" Zel asked himself as looked down the vacant alley. He was positive that Xellos and Filia were there. He walked back into the alley and looked around. He spotted something on the ground: a piece of wood. He was about to toss it down when he noticed what type of wood: wood from Xellos' staff. Proof. He held onto it as he dashed off to find the rest.  
  
~  
  
"My staff is broken!!!!!!" Xellos cried.  
  
"It's one lousy piece of wood!" Filia shouted back at him. The reappeared at the edge of a forest, near a city, probably the one that they were at seconds ago. Xellos was looking at his staff, which had a piece of chipped off. He ran his finger up and down the unsmooth wood. He let out a whimper. Filia looked down at the pitiful creature. "Oh, come on! Just toss that one out and get a new one and get over it!" Filia nearly screamed.  
  
"I'll never get over it!!" he yelled back. "This was my favorite staff in the whole world and it was my first one!! He grew up together!!" Filia blinked at Xellos' childish attitude. Their faces were centimeters from the others till an idea darted across Xel's mind. He smiled and backed up, taking up his genky appearance as normal.  
  
"What are you smirking at!!??" Filia yelled at him. It creeped her with how happy he was.  
  
"You know what, Fi-chan? You're right." Filia grimaced under her old nickname, but soon it changed to surprise. "But whatever happens, life is wonderful!!!" Filia went cold as Xellos waltzed around, singing the "Life is Wonderful!" song. Xellos watched in amusement as Filia went white while holding her ears. No wonder the others liked to do this to him, this was fun! He leaned in close to Filia. She looked up at him, fury on her face, but desperation in her Mazoku eyes. Xellos then whispered, "I love you, Filia." Xellos smiled at the effect. Filia went bright red, and she took out mace-sama and swung it.  
  
"You missed me!" Xellos cried with glee as Filia missed by mere inches.  
  
"Namagomi! You'll pay for that!!" Filia cried as she swung her mace again. She smiled at the Ryuuzoku as a split second of fear crossed his face when he remembered he couldn't teleport. Filia teleported behind Xellos, who realized where she was and bent down, hands over head, waiting for the blow. But it never came. Xellos turned around to see Filia posed for the strike, mace over head, but she wasn't concentrated on Xellos. She was interested in the group walking from the city.  
  
"Get us out of here!" he hissed at Filia as he spun around and grabbed her collar, knocking her out of her trance. Filia teleported the two out of sight.  
  
~  
  
"Where were you?" Amelia whispered to Zel once he caught up.  
  
"It was Filia and Xellos," Zel answered the unasked question. Amelia looked up at him.  
  
"What would they be doing here?" Zel shrugged.  
  
"They didn't say."  
  
"Sora wa-"  
  
"No," Zel grimaced. He hated that saying. "Other means: 'long story' and 'I don't know'. He seemed even reluctant of saying 'that is, etc.'." Amelia was surprised. "But the weirdest thing was their clothes. They were wearing stuff that they would never."  
  
"What are you guys talking about back there?" Lina asked as she turned around facing the princess and the chimera.  
  
"N... nothing," they stammered. Lina smiled as she turned back around.  
  
"Mmm-hmm," Lina answered.  
  
"Do you think she-?"  
  
"I think she does."  
  
"I think she and him..." Amelia wondered a bit. Zel blinked. Amelia didn't normally think out loud about that type of stuff.  
  
~  
  
"Yaah!" Xellos yelled as he held onto Filia's collar. She was bent over, gagging. They've teleported to the air, and poor Xellos was stuck dangling.  
  
"Y'know, dragons can fly," Filia said as Xellos blushed. He flew a few feet away and growled at her. "Good!" Filia exclaimed. "A little more practice and you'd be breathing fire!" Xellos glared at her. Then he jumped at her. Filia made a face at him before teleporting out of the way. Filia leaned back, ignored Xellos, and admired the view of the mountains. Xellos looked down at the traveling group. He was not liking the way this was turning out.  
  
~  
  
"Huh?" Zel looked up saw Xellos. He glared back at him. Zel smiled and pulled out the piece of wood that used to be part of Xellos' staff. Xellos' eyes widened as he silently beckoned Zel to give him the wood. Zel shook his head. Xellos clenched his fist and mouthed "you" as Zel started to wave the piece of wood at him.  
  
"Zel?" Amelia asked as she turned toward him before looking up at the Ryuuzoku. Xellos' eyes widened as well as Amelia's.  
  
"Filia," he hissed. Filia looked at him, then down, and gasped. She teleported to Xellos, then teleported away. Amelia blinked and looked at Zel.  
  
"Mr. Zelgadiss, what's going on?" Amelia asked him.  
  
"I really don't know."  
  
"What?" Lina asked looking at the two. ~  
  
"My staff," Xellos whined as he looked out between the trees.  
  
"That was close," Filia sighed.  
  
"My staff!" Xellos cried, pointing at the abandoned stick. Filia rolled her eyes. She teleported over to his staff, picked it up, teleported back, and tossed Xellos his staff. "Oh, my staff! Thank- you! Thankyou! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" Filia rolled her eyes again. Xellos ran a finger over the rough area again. He sighed as he placed his hand over the rough spot and pulled his hand back. Both watched as the staff regenerated. Filia was enraged.  
  
"Why you!" Filia roared. "All that and you could've put it back together?!" Xellos thought for a few seconds and smiled. "What are you smirking at?!?!" Filia screamed.  
  
"Isn't it true that Golden Dragons can turn into dragons?" 


	5. Crazed Dragons

Cyris: Hello! Like my story so far? I guess if you're still reading it. You're probably wondering, but since my dad is now home, my house is being renovated so the internet is disconnected so I can nab in about 3 chapters per time the internet is up.  
  
Disclaimer: I hate this! I don't own them! I even hate writing this! What's up with the disclaimers if the people already know that we don't own them! *sigh* I don't own Slayers, but I do own that annoying sorceress and the "Ma" and "Ryuu" zoku idea, but basically, the idea for this chapter belongs to "slayer anime fan". Thanks!  
  
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"So?" Xellos asked, a huge grin planted on his face.  
  
"Sore wa himistu desu!" Filia said, a grin planted on her face, too.  
  
"That's my line!" Xellos yelled. Filia shrugged.  
  
"So?" Filia smiled.  
  
"I take that as a yes," Xellos sad. It was strange, having two people who utterly "loathe" each other, in a forest, grinning at each other.  
  
"You get naked," Filia smiled.  
  
"So?" Xellos shrugged. Filia's eyes went wide and her grin faltered.  
  
"You don't even know how!"  
  
"Yes I do!" Filia's eyes widened. Was Xellos trying to kill her? They could barely go more than fifteen feet from each other! The only way Xellos could go anywhere after he killed her is if he carried her, and that would be a sight!  
  
"Fi-chan! You don't look so good. Should I sing you a song?" Xellos asked.  
  
"NO! No, please, no! You might not even live!"  
  
"Why not? Give me a reason, then."  
  
"I've got four: Lina, Gourry-"  
  
"C'mon! What makes you think they'd hurt me?" Filia stared at him. "Okay, okay, maybe I'm not on good terms with them, but what makes you think that they'll attack me?"  
  
"First off, they would want to kill you anyways, no matter what you are, and second, you'd be a dragon, which could cause more physical damage." Xellos stared. Then shrugged. Filia then closed her eyes and leaned against a nearby tree. "He is impossible," she mumbled. She stayed there for about five minutes before she decided to open her eyes. They widened when she released she was looking into large amethyst eyes. Way to big to be a human's, but big enough to be a-  
  
"XELLOS!!!!!!!!!!!" Filia screamed. She pushed on the dragon snout. Xellos backed up and grunted. "Xellos YOU IDIOT!!!!!" She teleported to on top of his head and started banging. He winced after each one.  
  
"Stop it!" he grumbled.  
  
"Why?!?" Filia yelled. She leaned over in front of Xellos' eyes. "Turn back now!"  
  
"Why? So you can end up on top of me?" Xellos started walking, causing Filia to fall back, landing at the base of his neck. Filia then looked up to see were he was headed.  
  
"No, Xellos, NO!!! That's where the four reasons are!!" Filia screamed. Xellos seamed to shrug, causing Filia to fall back between his wings. "Xellos, STOP!!" Filia yelled. She was on her back in between Xellos' wings. She was nearly out of breath.  
  
"What was that?" Gourry asked when the four heard a yell and some booms.  
  
"EEEIIIIIYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! AHAHAHAAAA!!" A scream emitted from the forest. A purple head emerged from the trees.  
  
"A DRAGON!!!" the four yelled.  
  
"Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood," Lina started. The dragon emerged from the forest and started across our hero's path.  
  
"DRAGU SLA- huh?" Lina was cut off by Amelia.  
  
"WHAT!?!?" Lina demanded out of the princess.  
  
"Look! Isn't that Filia?" Amelia pointed at the point between the dragon's wings. The groups' eyes widened as the watch Filia's form sit up.  
  
"Xellos, you idi- what the!?!" Filia exclaimed, catching glance of the group. "Oh-!!" She dug her fingernails into Xellos' hide, causing him to wince. She teleported them both out of the groups reach.  
  
"Huh? When did dragons learn to teleport?"  
  
"Maybe there's someone else besides Filia on that monster!"  
  
"Like a Mazoku?"  
  
"Xellos!"  
  
"What would Xellos want with Filia?"  
  
"Secrets?"  
  
"He knows to many of them that I'm surprised his head hadn't exploded yet! At least he has a memory."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Jellyfish brains."  
  
"Filia? Can't you go any farther?" Xellos asked nervously as he watched the group get to the top of a nearby hill.  
  
"You're so heavy! I can't go any farther!"  
  
"Please?" Filia winced at the word, surprised that Xellos had said it. She concentrated and they teleported out of sight. They appeared in what seemed to be a clearing in the forest. Filia teleported in front of Xellos.  
  
"XELLOS!!! TURN BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs The purple dragon loomed over her. Filia closed her eyes, waiting for the attack. It never came. Filia looked up. No dragon. Then she looked forward to see a normal, save the clothes, and somewhat confused Xellos. Filia sighed.  
  
"I'm hungry!!"  
  
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Cyris: Like it? Hope ya did! Didn't expect the ending? Thought so! Remember, I'm still awaiting a job and more story ideas! Next chapter is taken, with my idea! YAY!! U _ U 


	6. City Nights

Cyris: Aloha! Guess what? The weirdest thing happened! My mom read my fic! She said it was bizarre. It's bizarre that she read it! That is strange!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers, I own the sorceress, I own the story idea, I own the chapter idea.  
  
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Sigh.  
  
"I'm hungry!" Xellos moaned. "I've been so hungry! I can't walk because I'm so hungry!" Filia couldn't take it. She wanted to leave him by the side of the road, and let him starve, or have the rest of the traveling troupe find him. Filia looked away from her daydreaming and onto the road. She saw some buildings.  
  
"A town!" she cried. Xellos looked up with glee.  
  
"Yay!" He darted forward at a run towards the town. But soon ran out of breath. "Hungry..." he moaned. He leaned forward on his knees to take a breather. Filia caught up with him.  
  
"Hungry?" she asked. Xellos looked at her.  
  
"Why can't we just teleport?" Xellos whined.  
  
"I'm hungry!" Filia whined, mocking Xellos.  
  
"Why you...!" Xellos jumped Filia, who teleported out of the way.  
  
"Why don't you wait till we get to town?"  
  
"PLEASE?!?!"  
  
"Fine! As long as you stop complaining!"  
  
"Okay!" Filia teleported them to the town entrance. "Lesson 1: never make direct eye contract. In fact, don't make eye contact at all."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"How many people do you know that can notice a Mazoku by just looking at their eyes?"  
  
"Erm... most?"  
  
"Exactly." The walking into town and the nearest inn to get a room and some food. While Xellos was chowing down at Lina-speed, Filia looked over the menu.  
  
"If you order the house salad, as well as the double-scoop ice cream, and the coconut pie, you would've ordered everything," Filia said, showing the menu to Xellos and pointing to the foods.  
  
"I think I'll order the ice-cream," Xellos said through a mouthful of...er...meat.  
  
"You should learn some manners," Filia acknowledged, taking a glance at who just entered the inn. She gagged, recognizing the strange group. She darted up, trying to be as quiet as possible, and grabbed Xellos and dragged him over to the counter to get a room.  
  
"We don't have any money!" Xellos said through clenched teeth. Filia smiled as she pulled out a small bag of coins.  
  
"You didn't...?"  
  
"No!" After getting their rooms, they started upstairs.  
  
"WHADDYA MEAN YOU'RE OUTTA FOOD!?!?!" Lina screamed at the waitress.  
  
"Well, er, ma'am, there were two people who came in and ordered quite a bit," the waitress answered, looking over her shoulder at the food covered table, which nobody sat at. She looked at the stairs to see two people dart around the corner. "Oh..."  
  
"Bed!" Xellos cried with glee as he collapsed on the one near the window.  
  
"At least there's two," said Filia as she relaxed on hers.  
  
"Aw, c'mon, Fi-chan! Don't be a spoilsport!" Xellos said as he leaned his staff against the wall, and messed with his pillows.  
  
"Shut up you idiot," Filia said.  
  
"Idiot? What happened to my other nickname? Namagomi?" Filia shifted uncomfortably on her bed. "Aw, the little girl has feelings, ne?" Filia stood up.  
  
"I'm going to go take a shower," she said as she took off for the bathroom.  
  
"Don't take too long. I want to get in before it gets too late," Xellos called to her, while looking out the window at the setting sun. Fifteen minutes later, Filia emerged from the bathroom.  
  
"You took forever!" Xellos whined.  
  
"Fifteen minutes is not forever." Xellos went into the bathroom while Filia sat on the bed, trying to figure out what to do. After a while, she decided to watch the sunset. She teleported to the roof and leaned back against the slanted surface. She watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon. She felt alone. Strange, she thought. She gazed up as the last of the pink fade into blue and purple. Blue was such a pretty color. So was purple... Her eyes widened at the thought. She shifted her position and looked at the stars, trying to make out constellations. She didn't feel tired, but she wanted to be tired. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She stamped her feet on the roof. She hated not being tired. Filia teleported back to her bed and waited for Xellos. Who emerged from the bathroom a half-hour later.  
  
"Ah! I feel cleaner now!" he said. Filia rolled her eyes.  
  
"I hope you do or that hour you spent soaking yourself would've been wasted."  
  
"I'm beat," Xellos exclaimed, collapsing onto his bed.  
  
"Lucky you." Xellos looked at her skeptically.  
  
"Are you mad at me?"  
  
"Of course I am! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here! I would be at home, minding my own business!" Xellos thought about how she said that. He didn't take care for what she said, but how she said it. She did things that made him feel unforgivable, but how she did it relaxed him. She said everything as if she were having fun. As if she enjoyed behind a demon over a dragon. Xellos saved the thought for later and snuggled under the covers. He was worn out. He looked over at Filia, was gazing at the ceiling, before settling into sleep. Filia, once again, didn't know what to do. She looked longely at Xellos' sleeping form. She wanted to go to sleep! She picked up a book on the bedside table and started reading. After a few minutes of reading, she decided she didn't like it, but it gave her something to do anyway. About halfway through the book, Xellos woke up.  
  
"I am not used to this," he moaned.  
  
"I'll trade gladly. I want to go to sleep," Filia sighed. "Anywise, you shouldn't be talking. You were the one that got us into this mess."  
  
"Please, not again! I feel guilty enough! Now spare me! Now we're looking for that stupid sorceress to turn us back."  
  
"Or a cure, like Zelgadiss."  
  
"At least he's experienced." Filia playfully tossed her book at him. Xellos let it land next to him on the bed before shoving it onto the floor. "Fi- chan, wasn't it you that told me to mind my manners at dinner?"  
  
"Shut up, you Namagomi." Xellos smiled at his old nickname. Filia let out a yawn.  
  
"I thought you said you weren't tired."  
  
"I'm not, but I want to be, but my mind won't let me."  
  
"Let me help." Filia emitted a giggle. Xellos started to hum a soft tune: a lullaby. Filia was about to protest, but her mind shut down too quickly react. Soon, she was sleeping peacefully. Xellos smiled at his little, confused Fi-chan and remembered when he made up the song himself. Oh, how long it took, to help him to get to sleep on nights like this, when there's too much to think about, and his mind was a mess. Things that just had to wait till tomorrow. Like this stupid contest. Xellos started to hum the song again, but to himself this time. He was about halfway through when it took effect on his mind. He figured that he made it for Mazoku instead of dragons. The last thing he thought of was when he hummed it to Beastmaster Zelas, and how much he fought to stay conscious while he watched his maker drift off into sleep. And how he managed to slip out of trouble. He was pretty lucky. At least he didn't try.. again...  
  
"Ah! You're awake! Let's go get breakfast!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think that your song makes Mazoku hungry." Xellos racked his brains.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I remember that little problem." Xellos looked out he window. It was probably near midday. "Great. Lina probably already raided the kitchen."  
  
"Not if we do first!" Filia cried, pulling Xellos out his bed. She through his cloak at him and looked out the door. "Hurry up!" Xellos fumbled with the clasp before Filia turned around suddenly and did it for him.  
  
"Wha-?"  
  
"No time! C'mon! I heard one of them wake up!" Filia grabbed Xellos' hand and darted downstairs to the same table that the had last night. She threw him into the same seat and sat down herself.  
  
"You are hyper today!" Xellos told Filia.  
  
"It was your song!" Xellos slumped on the table.  
  
"Why does everyone blame me?" he whined.  
  
"You are the causer of bad news most of the time!" A waitress came by and asked for orders. "Everything!" Filia exclaimed. At the mention of food, Xellos shot up and backed her up. The waitress smiled.  
  
"My, my, my! Aren't we hungry!" The two glared at her. "Be out as fast as possible!" the waitress exclaimed as she walked back to the kitchen. The first dish soon came out, and the games began. A half-hour later, all the dishes were out, and fifteen minutes later, they were cleared. Filia and Xellos were paying when a voice boomed throughout the inn.  
  
"WHADDYA MEAN YOU'RE OUTTA FOOD AGAIN?!?!?!" Lina screamed. The waitress hesitated.  
  
"Well, there were two people, and the looked like oppisites, but they sure acted similer. One of them had blonde hair, the other with purple."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"It couldn't be...?"  
  
"Filia and Xellos?"  
  
"You wouldn't see them in the same building even if it was forced!"  
  
"C'mon!" Xellos grabbed Filia and pulled her out the door. They ran down the road, turned the corner, and found out why it was crowded. This city had a huge market.  
  
"Aw, we don't have any money!" Filia whined as she checked her coin bag.  
  
"No matter!" He dragged her over to the nearest booth. They ended up getting a temperary job at a fruit stand. To pass the time, Xellos tried to teach Filia his little tune.  
  
"Fi-chan, it's like this." He hummed the part again, but slower. Filia just had trouble with that part. She tried to mimic Xellos, but screwed up again. Xellos hummed it from the beginning.  
  
"Xellos..." Filia said as she leaned on his shoulder.  
  
"Fi-chan! It's your turn!" Filia's snapped open as she gave Xellos a little push as she went to go help whoever was at the counter. The two got some money for doing various jobs. When it was getting close to dinner, they called it a day and went back to the inn for dinner, which ended in more screaming considering Lina still didn't get a decent meal. Filia spent some time on the roof again trying to memorise the tune before teleporting back to her room and going to sleep. Filia and Xellos spent a few days in the city, waiting for Lina's gang to leave. But they didn't seem to want to leave.  
  
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Cyris: Like it? Hate it? Kinda long, dontya think? I don't have any story jobs yet! 


	7. Rediscovered

Cyris: Didya like my last chapter? A little break. A nice little peaceful break.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own Slayers, own sorceress, own story idea, own chapter idea.  
  
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"Yay! No work! Now we can spend all our money!"  
  
"Then we would have to work more."  
  
"Oh, great." They were walking down the market, seeing if there was anything worth buying. Filia was going to ask Xellos a question, but forgot about it when she looked at him. He was happily licking ice cream.  
  
"Where'd you get that?"  
  
"Back there," Xellos answered, jabbing and thumb behind him. Filia looked back there.  
  
"There's nothing back there! You didn't steal it, did you?"  
  
"If I told you that it was free, would you believe me?"  
  
"No," Filia said simply. She closed her eyes and relaxed. Until she ran into someone.  
  
"Ouch! Watch were your go- Filia?" Filia looked up and saw a Mazokus' worst fear: Amelia.  
  
"Oh, crap," Filia whispered. She took a deep breath and screamed, "FIRE!!!!!" Chaos started instantly. Filia jumped up and grabbed Xellos, who was getting lost in this sea of chaos.  
  
"Good job, Filia!" Xellos said with a smile. "You're learning!"  
  
"Shut up!" Filia pulled him into an alley and they hid in the shadows. The four ran past and didn't seem to see the two hidden. "You still have that?" Filia hissed at Xellos. He smiled, licking his ice cream.  
  
"What the- Filia?" Amelia backed up looking into the alley. The rest caught up soon. Filia grabbed the nearest part of Xellos, which turned out to be his hair, and teleported up to the roof.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"They're up there!" Lina levitated up to the roof, and checked it out. Filia reached back and grabbed the nearest part of Xellos again, only to grab his ice cream after it splattered over his face. Filia chucked the cone at Lina and teleported herself and Xellos to the inn.  
  
"That was close!"  
  
"My ice cream!" Filia looked over at Xellos, and laughed. He had ice cream all over his face and one of his hands.  
  
"Go take a shower!" Xellos did and Filia rested on her bed. She was about to hum Xellos' song to try to get to sleep, but someone tried to open the room door. Filia started inching towards the edge of her bed. There was a loud crack in the door as the lock broke. Filia fell off the bed with a thump. She peeked over the top of the bed and watched Lina and Co. enter the room.  
  
"Thanks, Zel." Filia scrambled under the bed and teleported to the bathroom, turning of the light in there.  
  
"I think I heard one of them under the bed."  
  
"Filia? What are you doing in here?" Xellos whispered hurriedly.  
  
"Be quiet! I'm not looking! Get dressed!"  
  
"Where're my clothes?"  
  
"Over here!"  
  
"I can't see!"  
  
"Duh!"  
  
"Okay, I'm ready. Where're we going?" Xellos asked as if he knew what was going on.  
  
"Somewhere not here!"  
  
"Okay, I'm re- My staff!"  
  
"Forget it!"  
  
"My staff! I've gotta have it!" Filia sighed and teleported under Xellos' bed, grabbed his staff, as well as catching the attention of the unwanted company in the room. Filia teleported to the bathroom and handed Xellos his staff. Then they teleported downstairs and paid for their room, then teleported to the roof. "What are we doing here?"  
  
"Looking."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"A place to go." Xellos pointed to a river near the town.  
  
"How about someplace there?" Filia looked at the directed place.  
  
"Looks good! Let's go!" She teleported them to a little clearing next to a stream. Xellos sat next to stream and looked across while Filia teleported herself into a tree. She started humming Xellos' song to calm her nerves.  
  
"Hey!" Xellos turned around and watched Filia hum and rest.  
  
"The trees are mine now, little man!" Filia was able to say before she dozed off. Xellos got some water in his cupped hands and splashed it at Filia.  
  
"Stop it!" she whined before going back to sleep. "Sleeping is hard nowadays!"  
  
"Is it?"  
  
"Shut up, Namagomi." Xellos got up to sit under the tree next to Filia's. He was about to go to sleep when-  
  
"Ow!" Xellos rubbed his head and looked at Filia. She was sleeping peacefully in the boughs of her tree. Then he looked down next to him. An innocent red apple sat next to him. Xellos picked it up and looked into the higher branches of the tree. It was an apple tree. He walked over to the stream and washed the apple off. It gleamed in the sun, and it just looked delicious. Xellos bit into the apple and let its wonderful taste spread through his mouth. He went back to the apple tree and sat against it. When he was done, he tossed the core across the river and went to sleep. When Filia woke up, she felt something on her head. She picked it up and looked at it. It was an apple. She wasn't really hungry, but, oh well. She teleported to the stream and washed it off. She teleported back and ate the apple, enjoying its taste. When she was done, she tossed the rest near the stream. Filia looked down at Xellos, who was snoozing at the base of the apple tree. How could someone so peaceful be so powerful? Filia asked herself. She may never know why. Xellos looked so cute when he wore white. Filia blushed at the thought before continuing onto slumber.  
  
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Cyris: Ooooo! Unexpected, isn't it? Action and peace in one chapter!  
  
Note: JOBS PLEASE. AND IDEAS. OR THE STORY WILL BE SHORT. 


	8. Dreams

Cyris: Yes, I was feeling lazy. I just threw this one in for no reason. It doesn't change the story at all.  
  
Disclaimer: *snore* Don't own Slayers *snore* own sorceress *snore* own story idea *snore* own chap idea *snore*  
  
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Filia woke to the sound of snickering. She looked over the side of her branch to the sight of a few large men surrounding an asleep Xellos. One of the men was holding a club, ready to strike Xellos. He swung, and Filia felt her heart stop (I know...). She quickly closed her eyes. Filia opened them again to see the men staring at Xellos, who had the guy's club in his hand, and it would be correct to say he was awake. Xellos twisted the club. The one holding it dared to not let go, in fear of giving Xellos a weapon. He kept on twisting it, till the oaf let go in pain. Xellos stood up, took a grip on the club, and swung it. It hit the big guy in the stomach, and sent him flying over the trees. Xellos turned to the others, who ran away in fear, screaming about "this guy ain't human!". True. Xellos banged his forearm against the apple tree, then leaned against it. An apple fell down, and Xellos caught it before it hit the ground. He examined it before turning and chucking the apple at the beasts of men.  
  
"Is that supposed to impress me?" Filia asked. Xellos looked up at her and blushed.  
  
"Well, not really. I didn't know that you were awake." Xellos looked down. Then he pulled out an apple that he hid. "Hungry?" Filia shrugged, then pulled her own apple off the nearest branch. She teleported to the other side of the stream and started washing it off. Xellos wondered why she did that. He sat down next to the stream and washed his own apple off. At least until Filia splashed him. Xellos looked up at her. She was minding her own business taking extra care to wash her apple extra carefully. Xellos flew over next to Filia, and took off his cloak and act as if to wash it. When he totally submerged his cloak underwater, he picked up the corners and dumped the water on Filia's head. Filia's eyes widened in shock as she shivered.  
  
"Why you!" Filia tackled Xellos. When Filia pinned Xellos down, she found out his was not as pinned as she thought he was. Xellos pushed her into the stream, and she dropped her apple in the shock of the cold. Filia grabbed for the bank, and ended up grabbing onto Xellos' hand. He smiled and started pulling her up out of the water. But Filia turned around and pulled Xellos in.  
  
"Eyaah!" The water started freezing over, but both Ryuu- and Ma- zoku got out before freezing to death. They both sat shivering, wringing out cloaks and any other clothes possible without getting naked. Once hey were as dry as possible, they watched the sunset.  
  
"What a pretty sunset," Xellos remarked. "It would be prettier if we could see it better, like, from a tree, don't you think?" Filia sighed and teleported them both to a tree taller than the rest with a great view, which turned out to be Filia's tree. They both fell asleep watching the sky.  
  
Filia woke up with a start. She looked over to her right were Xellos was, but wasn't. She looked over at the apple tree and saw Xellos sleeping against it.  
  
"You know what? I had a dream that we were attacked by mercs," he mumbled. Filia smiled. How weird, she thought before she went back to sleep.  
  
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Cyris: Yes, I was feeling downright lazy. This doesn't effect the story at all, but it does add a little laugh. 


	9. Seaside

Cyris: Hope all you who read my last chapter liked it. Those who didn't, it doesn't matter. There won't be any chapters that are a reminder of "Dream".  
  
Disclaimer: SICK OF THIS!!! *breaths deeply* DON'T OWN SLAYERS, OWN SORCERESS, IDEA ETC!!! *breaths heavily*  
  
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Filia took another bite of her apple. She's been up for hours. She looked over at Xellos, who hasn't stirred the entire time she was awake. She thought of tossing an apple at him, but thought about how enraged Xellos would be. Though Filia hadn't had a decent meal for a while. Her gaze drifted to the boughs of apples above Xellos. She wouldn't be tossing apples at him... Filia teleported onto a branch of the tree, causing some apples to fall. One landed on Xellos' stomach, but none else hit their marks. Filia kicked some leaves loose, and they fell over Xellos. Filia was really irritated, so she just plucked an apple and dropped it on Xellos.  
  
"Oops," she said as it fell. She teleported back to her branch and looked at the sunrise. She saw some blue along the horizon. "An ocean!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Oooww..." Xellos looked at the apple on his chest. "You threw this, didn't you?"  
  
"What?" Filia said without breaking eyesight with the sea.  
  
"Whatever." Xellos tossed the apple into the stream and stood up. "Where're we going next?" Filia pointed. Xellos flew up and looked. "Is that an ocean?" Filia nodded.  
  
"I think." Xellos smiled.  
  
"Then c'mon! Let's go!"  
  
"We're walking." Xellos looked at her.  
  
"Why? Teleporting's easier."  
  
"I know it is, but I'm in a bad mood."  
  
"Hungry, ne?" Filia nodded. "If we teleport, we'll be there quicker. Unless you just want to spend more time with me?"  
  
"We'll fly, at the most."  
  
"You still want to spend time with me, Fi-chan!"  
  
"And you DON'T want to spend time with me, correct?"  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
"NOT!!" Xellos looked at Filia in confusement. Filia, seeing his face, explained. "It's a sea, and there's obviously going to be a port, where there's boats, and possibly at least one cruise ship!" Xellos stared at her. "Xellos, you're blushing!" He released that he was getting hot. "But we're still walking, flying at the most."  
  
"Wait a second, how come you get to decide whether or not to teleport! Don't I get a say in this?"  
  
"No. Besides, you can't teleport." Xellos sulked and Filia smiled. They stayed like that for a few minutes, till Filia got better.  
  
"I could turn into a dragon and-"  
  
"Oh, no you don't!"  
  
"What's stopping me?" Xellos grinned evilly. Filia saw that he was serious and gave in.  
  
"Okay, as long as you don't turn into a dragon." Xellos smiled at his accomplishment and grabbed at Filia's cloak, and tugged at it. She gagged. "I won't teleport if you do that!" Xellos gave her a sad expression. Filia grumbled as she teleported them both as close to the port as possible.  
  
"We aren't there!"  
  
"I know we aren't!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Do you really think I'm a master teleporter like you are?"  
  
"Well, you are-"  
  
"Okay, we're going!"  
  
"Aw, little Fi-chan scared of someone calling her Mazoku?" Xellos said in a singsong voice.  
  
"Fine, we're walking!"  
  
"Wha-"  
  
"Aw, little Xel-KUN scared of taking a little trek through a forest?" Filia mocked. Xellos glared at her.  
  
"Life is-"  
  
"Horrible! Miserable! Down-in-the-dumps dreadful!" Filia continued, with her own little version. Xellos sighed.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"Okay!" She moved past a few trees and Xellos followed. Five minutes later, they emerged into what looked like a small neighborhood. They walked on through the deserted suburbs till they reached the dock. There were plenty of fishing ships, a few sailboats, and about three cruise. Filia elbowed Xellos as he blushed deeply. They went to get some tickets for the next ship going out to a tropical island. They'd rather spend the contest without Lina and Co. They boarded and soon took off.  
  
"ONE BED?!?! THERE'S ONLY ONE BED!?!" Filia screamed upon sight of their cabin. It was roomy, but only one queen size bed was stashed in there.  
  
"Yeah, Fi-chan!" Xellos plopped down on it and patted the are next to it. "C'mon! It's really comfy!" He showed what he meant by bouncing on it.  
  
"I'm NOT getting in bed with a Namagomi M-...idiot!!"  
  
"What's a 'Midiot'?" Xellos asked with a smile.  
  
"YOU!!!" Filia exclaimed, jumping on the bed and pushing Xellos off. He fell on the floor with a loud thump. Filia cuddled into the pillows.  
  
"That wasn't very nice!" Filia cracked open an eye to gaze at Xellos.  
  
"Who're you to be talking?" Xellos got up and laid out beside her. Filia's eyes went wide as she scrambled up and plopped on the couch instead.  
  
"Aw, Fi-chan, you're such a party pooper!"  
  
"So, what else is new?" Filia relaxed and started to snooze. Xellos shrugged and decided to take a nap himself. Filia waited till she was sure Xellos was asleep. She went over to the bed and stretched out next to him. Xellos smiled. I hope I wake up before him, Filia thought. Unless he's already awake...? Filia bypassed the thought before snuggling into her pillows. Several hours later...  
  
"Aw, Fi-chan! I didn't know you cared!" Filia's fluttered open to gaze into a pair of amethyst ones. Xellos was leaning over her from his side. Filia smacked him, and backed up, running into him. Xellos ended up all over her.  
  
"Get off me, NAMAGOMI!!!" Filia screamed. She darted off the bed and stared at Xellos, hands balled up, blushing furiously.  
  
"That was your fault, this time!" Xellos said, rubbing his red cheek. He was right, Filia released but she didn't want to tell him.  
  
"I'm going up on deck," Filia frowned. She headed out the door and went upstairs. Xellos darted up after her. Once on deck, Xellos dropped into one of the chairs laid out, and Filia went to the side of the ship to watch the ocean. Some people a few meters down started conversing. Filia didn't care, or want to till she heard something familiar.  
  
"Are there fish out there?"  
  
"Of course there is, jellyfish-for-brains! There's obviously some of your kind out there." Filia stiffened. She glanced over to the couple talking, A fiery redhead and her dumb blond sidekick stood, gazing out at the sea as she was a few moments ago. Filia walked silently over to Xellos, and put one hand on his shoulder and the other over his mouth. Then she shook him violently.  
  
"Hmph? Whimph?" Xellos mumbled the best he could through Filia's mouth.  
  
"Ssshh..." Filia pointed to the two fighters. Xellos' eyes widened. Filia grabbed him and dragged him downstairs back to their cabin. But someone was watching them...  
  
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Cyris: Am I leaving it as a cliffhanger? Read on to find out!  
  
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Filia through Xellos on the sofa, which he settled in happily.  
  
"That was close," he mumbled as Filia collapsed on the bed. There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Who is it?" Filia called.  
  
"Room service." Filia heaved herself off the bed and opened the door. A familiar chimera looked back at her.  
  
SLAM.  
  
Xellos gave her a confused look. Se mouthed:  
  
"It's Zel."  
  
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Cyris: Cliffhangers make the world go 'round! If ya like it, you'll take the challenge: I need 30 reviews before I enter the next chapter, and just in case nobody noticed, I have another story starting! It starts out kinda weird... but guess what reviews are for!  
  
Note: I also have to get at least one e-mail. I don't care about what, but it has to be something about the story. I wanna see how desperate you guys are in seeing the rest.  
  
Filia: They DON'T want to see the rest!  
  
Cyris: According to the reviews they do! 


	10. Ships

Cyris: Oiya! I'm letting you off easy, but don't think it'll happen all the time! I've been sick, and visiting some relatives, so I haven't been able to update for a while.  
  
Filia: I wish you were gone all the time...  
  
Cyris: I have two friends who remind me of you and Xellos.  
  
Fi + Xel: ???!!  
  
Cyris: I know, it's weird...  
  
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"We're dead." Xellos whispered back. "Are you sure it's him?" Filia shrugged and turned around to look through the peephole in the door. His clothes were similar to Zel's, but it wasn't him. He was also wearing a blue mask over his eyes, and silvery hair that fell past his shoulders. Filia sighed and opened the door.  
  
"Room service," the butler repeated bowing low.  
  
"Why are you wearing a mask?" Xellos asked.  
  
"Ship rules. No one may know who the servants are. Have I interrupted something? A reason for being slammed in the face?" the butler asked sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, I thought you were someone else," Filia fumbled as Xellos giggled. The butler bowed his exit and Filia shut the door. She leaned against it and whispered, "That was close." She turned to Xellos, who was giggling silently. She frowned and declared, "I'm getting a drink." Xellos jumped up and followed Filia up the stairs to the café. They went in to see a sight: Amelia at the counter complaining about the drink prices.  
  
"The drink prices are way to high! As Princess of Seyruun, I will make sure that all the people at this bar will get a fair price! I demand you to lower the price immediately!!" Some other customers were cheering here on, and the manager, who was wearing a crimson mask, was desperately trying to settle them down.  
  
"Look little lady!" he boomed. "I don't care if you're the Duchess of Saywhat, or the Queen of England, I have fair prices here, and I'm not going to lower them!"  
  
"This is unjust! People need good prices in order to afford things that they really need!"  
  
"Little lady, if I get you a free drink, will you shut up?"  
  
"Only if you give the whole bar a free drink!!" Filia winced.  
  
"Being a Mazoku isn't all fun and games," Xellos whispered, a little happy to be away from Amelia's painful words.  
  
"Shut up," Filia mumbled back. They ordered drinks from someone besides the manager, and sat at a table far away from Amelia. As they drank, Xellos watched Amelia argue over the drink prices, and seeing Filia wince every time she says something about justice. Till Amelia won.  
  
"Alright, Duchess of Saywhat!!"  
  
"Princess of Seyruun!!"  
  
"Whatever!! Okay! The prices are cut in half!!" Amelia smiled as she paid for her drink and sat at a table. A table way too close to Filia and Xellos. Someone in another mask came around and dropped various amounts of coins on the tables with customers. Xellos picked up the amount dropped on his table and counted it.  
  
"Yay, ten percent back," he said sarcastically. He dropped the coins in their coin bag and looked out for Amelia. Filia leaned back in her chair and sighed. Xellos decided to live up his name and started humming softly his little tune. Filia closed her eyes and sighed again, slowly bringing her cup to her lips. When Filia was about to take a sip, her eyes snapped open and she slammed her cup on the table, splashing tea everywhere, including some on Xellos.  
  
"What?" he asked, smiling. Filia glared at him and whispered, "Don't you dare do that!!" Xellos ignored her and continued trying to clean the tea of his clothes.  
  
"I think you stained my clothes. I don't have any more!" Filia smiled at his sufferings.  
  
"Serves you right. Spend the rest of this stupid contest wearing dirty clothes."  
  
"You're help."  
  
"Call it a gift." Xellos looked over at Filia who was quietly sipping what remains of her tea.  
  
"You're getting revenge, aren't you," Xellos whispered. Filia shrugged.  
  
"Depends on how look at it. Physically, not really. But I AM getting revenge on all those times you annoyed the rest of us. Strange it's me who is stuck doing it." Xellos frowned.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower before we're discovered." Filia's head snapped around to see Amelia, walking to the doorway, which meant passing their table.  
  
"Good idea." Xellos and Filia pushed, pulled and shoved each other out the door. They soon made it to their room, to see the butler from earlier tidy up the place.  
  
"What're you going here?"  
  
"I'm tidying up. It's a dreadful mess. I also have a message for you."  
  
"From...?"  
  
"Kirina." They looked at each other.  
  
"Who's she?" Xellos started. The butler walked over to the door and locked it, placing the key in his pocket.  
  
"She is the sorceress guilty of your curse."  
  
"WHAT!?!" Both darted at the poor butler, who tried to hid in shock. Filia reached him first, hence teleporting. Xellos frowned and retreated to the bed. Filia grabbed the butler by the shoulders, and forced his arms down. She now saw that the mask covered even his eyes. Filia grabbed the middle of the mask and pulled it off the now entirely shocked and surprised, and almost petrified butler. She blinked at his brilliant aqua green eyes, as he did at her Mazoku ones.  
  
"Maz-mph...!!" Filia's hand was quicker than his mouth. Xellos serpresed a laugh. The butler trembled, and almost lost contact with his legs. Filia let go of him and blipped to the center of the bed, keeping her distance. The butler stumbled against the door, his hand going for his pocket for the key, but remembered the message. He stood up and cleared his throat.  
  
"Is it safe to ask your names?" The twos had a surprised expression written all over their faces. "I like to refer to names when I'm returning to the sender."  
  
"My name," Xellos started, catching the messenger's attention. "My name is... a secret!!" Filia and the messenger sweatdropped. Filia whacked him on the back of his head.  
  
"He's-"  
  
"She's Filia!" Xellos but in, jabbing a thumb at Filia. That earned him another smack.  
  
"He's Xellos!" Filia said, pointing to him. The messenger's eyes went wide with shock. He started looking in his pockets and fumbling with the key. "I think he knows you," Filia whispered to Xellos as he blushed.  
  
"Are you the one who killed all those dragons, that time ago?" the butler stammered, accidentally dropping the key and bending down to pick it up, his eyes never leaving Xellos.  
  
"The one and the same!" Filia chirped happily. He dropped his key again. But he didn't pick it up.  
  
"Wait, this has something to do with that curse thing, right?" Xellos nodded. "Ah." The messenger didn't know how to react: scared that he's dealing with the ex-most powerful single Mazoku in all the world, or happy that he wouldn't be dead anytime soon? But that Filia Mazoku...  
  
"What the message?"  
  
"Wha?" He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Oh, the key to ending the 'contest' is in a floating tower." The two 'zokus stared at him in puzzlement. "She's captured there, and can't use any magic within it. She needs to be free to be able to correct your dilemma."  
  
"Where's the tower?"  
  
"Erm... that... is a secret." Filia glared at him. "Hey! That's what she told me to say if you asked that!!"  
  
"Do us a favor and just tell us!"  
  
"Truthfully, I don't know where it is." They both grumbled something that he couldn't hear. "No, seriously! She communicated to me by telepathy!"  
  
"If she can't use magic in the tower, how could she talk to you?"  
  
"If you have an outside source of energy, you can still us some magic. I believe I told you all I know, so I will leave now." He bowed low, grabbed his mask, straightened up, fitted on his mask, walked out, bowed low again (with his mask still mysteriously on), and left.  
  
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A/N: For those who didn't notice, yes, Sahannah's new name is Kirina. Now I can just boot that name from my memory. 


	11. Pathways

Cyris: You asked for it!! Now you get another chapter! But also, could somebody read my other stories and review, PWWWEEEZZZEEE!!!!! If I don't get reviews for those, I won't put up my ULTIMATLY ROMANTIC XEL-FI FIC!!!!!!!!! MUHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! Guess what, I had a weird dream last night!  
  
Xellos: What was it about?  
  
Cyris: Slayers.  
  
Xellos: A particular person?  
  
Cyris:...  
  
Xellos: Well?  
  
Cyris: Shut up, Xellos.  
  
Xellos: WHEN have you started calling me "Xellos"? It was usually Xel, or Xel-kun, or Xellie, or 'lil Namagomi-  
  
Cyris: WHEN have I called you 'lil Namagomi?  
  
Xellos: Just now.  
  
Cyris: ...that doesn't count!!  
  
Xellos: Ah! So you do!! And you DID!!  
  
Cyris: *blushes*  
  
Filia: *comes in carrying book* Do what?  
  
Xellos: She had a dream last night about me!  
  
Filia: *drops book* You had a dream about...HIM!?!?!  
  
Xellos: And she wants to call me 'lil Namagomi!!  
  
Cyris: No I don't!!!  
  
Disclaimer: This is the LAST disclaimer I'm putting up for this story. Read and weep. I don't own Slayers, but I own Sahannah and Rallo (he's the butler, read in the beginning of "New Arrivals" for more information on him. Look for keyword "Rallo"). Also, the little surprise hidden in the story was a request from... (tell me if you want your name here!)  
  
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"We're we going to find a floating tower?"  
  
"Obviously up in the sky." Xellos said, gazing upward at the ceiling.  
  
"Xellos... we aren't going to get this over if you keep on clowning around!" Xellos sighed and anonymously reached out and grabbed something.  
  
"Hey, that butler guy left an apple in here," Xellos said, looking at the fruit in his hand. He looked over at where the apple was and picked up a note. "Hey, look at this! 'This apple is the Memory Fruit. There is only one tree of it in the whole world, and biting into it brings back memories, or gives the eater a vision to the future. The effects usually last when the eater is in a subconscious state.' Hmm..." Xellos looked at the fruit some more.  
  
"You don't think that the apple tree that we slept at a day ago has anything to do with this 'Memory Fruit'?" Xellos shrugged.  
  
"I haven't a clue." Filia remembered when she had that dream, that Xellos was "attacked". Had that anything to do with those mysterious apples? Maybe...  
  
"So were do we start looking?"  
  
"Why ask me? I say we finish our nice little cruise first."  
  
"I think it's almost done." Xellos said, looking out a window.  
  
"Done? It was supposed to be a few days!!" Xellos nodded.  
  
"Yeah, but just in case you didn't see, there was a sign in the harbor that said that it stops at a different port before continuing onto the island."  
  
"Oh. Should we get off here?" Filia asked. Xellos shrugged.  
  
"Well, it would get us away from Lina and Co., but there's still a possibility that they'll get off on this spot," Xellos replied. Filia nodded in agreement.  
  
"I say we got off here."  
  
"When do you get to make all the fine-point decisions??"  
  
"Since forever!" Filia argued. The butler then walked in. "When did you get the key??" Filia shot at him.  
  
"I've had one all along," he replied calmly. He took out a bag of something and placed it on the table, then left.  
  
"What are those?" Filia asked. Xellos, being the one closer to the bag, opened it.  
  
"??? Apples?" Xellos asked questionably. Filia shrugged and grabbed one, sinking her teeth into it.  
  
"Mmmm... these are good! Almost better then the ones on that tree!" Xellos grabbed one, too, and ate it. Once the were done eating out the whole sack, the headed up deck to wait for the ship to dock. "Well, I couldn't say that trip was fascinating. We should've asked the butler about those apples..." Filia sighed. Xellos wasn't to interested in the apples, but more on where to go.  
  
"Filia, do you think we should go to Hippileé or Helardwé? Filia?" Xellos looked over at Filia, who was staring absent-mindedly at the sky. "Filia?" He waved a hand in front of her face, snapping her out of her trance.  
  
"Wha-?"  
  
"Hippileé or Helardwé?" Filia stared at him.  
  
"Huh...? Oh, ... how about Hippileé?" Xellos shrugged and walked in that direction, Filia following. Soon they came to a fork in the path. They were both normal paths, but a giant, jagged cliff split them. They both shrugged and went down separate paths.  
  
"Where're you going, Fi-chan?"  
  
"This way," she said, stopping and pointing.  
  
"But that's not the right way!"  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"Because this way is the right way!!" Xellos answered, pointing down the right path. Filia frowned.  
  
"THIS way leads to Hippileé!"  
  
"No it doesn't!"  
  
"Yes it does!"  
  
"Filia, Filia," Xellos said, walking over to her.  
  
"What?!" Filia sot at him.  
  
"MY PATH IS THE RIGHT WAY!!"  
  
"NO IT ISN'T!" Xellos calmed down and brought his face centimeters from Filia's.  
  
"Filia, my path is the right way," he cooed, moving Filia's hair out of her face and behind her ear.  
  
"No it isn't!" Filia hissed. Xellos purred, causing her to blush.  
  
"It is." Xellos kissed Filia gently on the lips, and walked off. Filia was shocked. She touched her fingers to her lips. Xellos had... kissed her. She knew she was turning red. Very red. "Bye, Fi-chan!!" Xellos waved to her, darting down the right path.  
  
"Xellos," Filia whispered. "NAMAGOMI, YOU'RE GONA PAY FOR THAT!!" Filia darted after Xellos, her mace high, ready to catch him.  
  
"Ah! Like the good 'ole days!"  
  
"XELLOS, I HEARD THAT!!"  
  
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Cyris: A possible little twist of fate! Hehehe... if you like that little part, then you'll LOVE the ending!!!!  
  
Filia: *flips through script* You can't make that happen!!  
  
Cyris: *holds up pen* Ah, but I can!!  
  
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"Why did you do that?" Xellos panted, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
"Because you did what you got punished for!"  
  
"What! It's just a little teenage fun!"  
  
"TEENAGE FUN!?!" Filia roared. "We're not teenagers!!" Xellos shrugged. He obviously didn't care. They walked into Hippileé, to see a little out of normal.  
  
"Something's not right here..." Xellos whispered. Filia rolled her eyes.  
  
"Of course something's not right! There's nobody here!"  
  
"I think I know why."  
  
"What, then?!" Xellos pointed to a point in the sky near the other side of the town. Filia's eyes widened. "What is it?!?!"  
  
"It looks like a floating castle." Filia elbowed Xellos. "OW!! You hurt me enough already, today!"  
  
~  
  
"WHADDYA MEAN THE SHIP WON'T SAIL FOR THREE DAYS?!?!?!" Lina roared at the captain.  
  
"Uh, er... ma'am... there's... uh, a little d-di-ficutly at one u-u-u-u- of... at one of the tttowns...please wait," the captain stuttered.  
  
"Lina, calm down. We won't get there if you blow up the ship."  
  
"Whaddya mean CALM DOWN, Mr. Optimistic?!?!"  
  
~  
  
"How are we going to get up there?" Filia shrugged.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"We could fly, or teleport..."  
  
"We can't. I've already tried."  
  
"This will be hard..." Xellos sighed. The floating castle was about a mile or two up and covered a great deal of space. A space that defiantly couldn't be run across in a day or two.  
  
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Cyris: Hallo! Hope ya liked it!! I'll be updating my chapters!! So I need reviews!! Don't forget my ultimate romance stories for L/G, Z/A, and X/F!!! Reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews... 


	12. Haunted Hippileé

Cyris: Wow... five reviews from just putting up that last story... I had another dream last night!  
  
Xellos: You and dreams... was it about Slayers?  
  
Cyris: No.  
  
Xellos: What was it about, then?  
  
Cyris: Yu-Yu Hokisho.  
  
Xellos: ??? Erm, what?  
  
Cyris: Oh! It's about this boy that knows something called a "Spirit Gun". The dream is that I knew how to use it. The Spirit Gun.  
  
Xellos: Oh...  
  
Cyris: The Spirit Gun is magic that attacks someone spiritually.  
  
Xellos: I'm glad you don't know it.  
  
Filia: I wish I did. *grins at thought*  
  
Cyris: Anyways, two nights ago I did NOT dream about Xellos.  
  
Xellos: Then who DID you dream about?  
  
Cyris: Slayers.  
  
Xellos: WHO?  
  
Cyris: ...  
  
Xellos: Gourry?  
  
Cyris: *blushes* No.  
  
Xellos: Rock boy?  
  
Cyris: *blush disappears* No.  
  
Xellos: *in romantic voice* Zelgadiss?  
  
Cyris: *blushes more* No!  
  
Xellos: Yes it was!!  
  
Cyris: Not in that sense!!  
  
Xellos: *makes kissing noises* Mch, mch, mch, mch, yes it was!  
  
Cyris: It's how I came up with the idea for my Z/A love fic!  
  
Xellos: *stops noises* Oh.  
  
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"Wait, you said you already tried?" Filia nodded. "Don't you have to be touching me to go more than fifteen feet?"  
  
"You WERE touching me." Xellos blushed.  
  
"Oh... so there's no way up there."  
  
"As I see it." Filia looked around the otherwise deserted town. "I say we find an inn to spend the night in."  
  
"But the town's deserted!" Filia smiled.  
  
"And that's bad?" Xellos released her point.  
  
"Oh. So, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth one down?"  
  
"? What do you mean?"  
  
"Considering this place is deserted, it wouldn't kill to spend the night in someone's house."  
  
"That doesn't seem right..."  
  
"You're to be talking."  
  
"Shut up Namagomi," Filia mumbled. They walked around for a while, looking for some form of life around. They knocked on doors, yelled in windows, and even went inside some. All, or at least most, seemed like everybody was taken straight from their everyday lives. It looked like it was near dinner for most families, and old half-eaten food laid on tables.  
  
"I'm hungry," Xellos moaned, his hunger pretty obvious.  
  
"Good for you."  
  
"It's been so long since those apples..." Filia remembered them two, considering Xellos tried to act as carefree as possible in their conditions. Filia wasn't really liking it. Soon they came upon an inn that didn't seem so deserted. Sure, there was no one there, but it didn't seem as... empty. There was obviously a party because wine and beer was on almost all the tables, and some cake and other goodies were passed out.  
  
"Oh, gosh, how long ago was this?" Filia grimaced. "It seems like HAPPY people were just here!"  
  
"I know!" Xellos chirped happily. "Hey, this cake tastes good!" Filia looked at Xellos who was starting to eat an uneaten piece of cake.  
  
"This party defiantly was earlier today." Xellos started wondering into the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, where're you going?" a stern voice cried out. Xellos blinked a few times before backing up. He stepped into the kitchen. "Are you trying to get to my food?" Xellos stepped out and waved a hand into the kitchen doorway. "Are you mocking me?" Xellos and Filia both stifled giggles.  
  
"I'm hungry," Xellos playfully moaned.  
  
"Then eat the food laid out for you!" Xellos blinked.  
  
"Laid out for us?"  
  
"Yes, little lady, laid out for YOU!!" the voice screeched. Filia turned around and gasped at the turkey dinner instantly laid out on the table nearest the door.  
  
"DIBS!!" Xellos yelled, darting past Filia, sitting himself down, and started gobbling down the turkey.  
  
"This place is haunted!" Filia said as she sat herself across from Xellos and busied herself with the corn. After finishing, the leaned back in their seats to rest, only to open their eyes to see dessert: a pretty big cake. They were about to pounce on it when they realized it was a wedding cake. Filia dropped her utensils and got up, and Xellos looked at the cake. It was three layers, and on the top there were two figures. Xellos quickly released it was him and Filia. Looking closer at the Filia one, he found that figure was a little round around the middle. Xellos' jaw dropped. The Filia figurine was pregnant. Xellos sat back in his chair and pressed a hand to his forehead.  
  
"I think I'm sick," he moaned.  
  
"Why?" Xellos looked at Filia.  
  
"You REALLY don't want to know. How about we go find a bedroom..." Filia shrugged and went upstairs, Xellos following close. There was only one room upstairs, and it was painted in a weird way. Different wood furnishings were used to make a design on the door.  
  
"They're hearts." Xellos looked closer to realize that there were hearts decorated across the door. Both 'zokus blushed and opened the door.  
  
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Cyris: Oh, gosh! I can't believe what I'm writing! *giggles hysterically before put in a straight jacket and shipped away to get psychotic help*  
  
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Pink was everywhere. Pink wallpaper with red and white hearts lined the walls, dressers with red tinted wood and heart handles were on either side of the room and the bed was sickening.  
  
"Oh, I think I'm gonna hurl..." Filia moaned weakly. She leaned against the door trying to relax. Xellos gaped open mouthed at the pink.  
  
"What kind of trick is this?" he said. Filia shrugged as she walked wearily over to the stairs. Then screamed. Xellos went over to her to see that the dining room was furnished in almost the same way as their room. "Oh my... This CAN'T happen!" Filia leaned against the wall, fanning herself, considering she didn't have enough energy to do anything else. "What the..."  
  
"What?" Filia whispered. She opened her eyes to see that the room had turned to normal, even dreary. The blood returned to her face. "I feel a little better," she sighed.  
  
"Good for you," Xellos mumbled, returning to their room. Filia followed him. Upon entering their room, Xellos shut the door in Filia's face.  
  
"Namagomi!" Filia yelled through the door. She opened it to find something hit her in the face. She pushed aside the paper spider to look at Xellos, who was chuckling silently on the bed. Filia made her way over there and sat next to him. "Why can't this just be a normal hotel?" she asked. Right before the two 'zokus' eyes, the room reverted to an otherwise normal room. The wood wasn't tinted, and the bed covers were violet and red mixture.  
  
"THANK-YOU!" they both yelled in unison. Filia collapsed on the bed next to Xellos, and almost went to sleep instantly.  
  
"Fi-chan?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where are you sleeping?"  
  
"In the bed."  
  
"Ah... Where am I sleeping?"  
  
"In another bed if you don't be quiet."  
  
"Ah."  
  
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Cyris: Please excuse the otherwise strange ending. I had an irresistible urge! :P 


	13. Morning Glory

Cyris: Hello! I didn't have any dreams last night!  
  
Xellos: *waves little flag* Yay!  
  
Cyris: ...Wait... I did but I don't remember it!  
  
Xellos: *still waving flag* Yay!  
  
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Filia woke up to something in her face.  
  
"Hmph?!" It was Xellos' hand. It had fallen across her face overnight. Filia opened her mouth to bite it when Xellos pulled it back.  
  
"Hey, what are trying to do, bite it?" Filia nodded.  
  
"That's what you get for putting it in my mouth." Filia looked around the room. It reverted to what seemed like a child's bedroom: teddy bears on clouds as wallpaper and blue covers. "This is sick," Filia said, sticking out her tongue.  
  
"No doubt," Xellos responded, yawning. The converted to normal once realizing the guests didn't want it that way. Xellos shivered. "It's cold!" The room converted to... red! Flames were painted on the walls, magic fireballs for lights, etc.  
  
"Now it's hot in here!" Ice cubes were now on the walls and a light snow was falling.  
  
"I'm not even going to risk taking a shower with this hazardous room!" Those words were fatal. Police and fire truck alarms filled the room, and the words 'caution' and 'hazard, stay out' were now the wallpaper.  
  
"With that, you could have an indoor field of flowers," Filia mumbled. Wish granted. The shortest of grass made the floor with animated designs of flowers over the wall, and a light breeze went through the room.  
  
"Now look what you've done," Xellos grumbled as he went in for his shower. "Just try not to change the scenery. I'd like my shower normal." With those words, the room reverted TO normal.  
  
"Normal, normal, normal, normal, normal, normal, normal, normal, normal, normal..." Filia started. Xellos shrugged and walked into the bathroom for a shower. Ten minutes later, when Xellos came back, the room was looking a little weirder, and Filia was still on the bed. "Abnormal, abnormal, abnormal, abnormal, abnormal, abnormal, abnormal..." she muttered, smiling faintly.  
  
"Let's go and get something to eat," he announced, startling Filia, who seemed to be lost in thought.  
  
"Okay," Filia said, sitting up and stretching. They made their way downstairs and stopped on sight of the wedding cake, which hadn't moved.  
  
"This is enough!" they yelled at the innocent cake. It disappeared instantly. The two went downstairs. Xellos made his way to the kitchen to try to figure out what's up with the alarm system. Filia, who was just as interested, followed. Till Xellos was blasted back by some unknown force, careening into Filia.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"It looks like...someone doesn't what me in the kitchen." Filia shoved Xellos off.  
  
"That's your problem!" Then they heard pounding footsteps. The two darted behind the counter as they watched Lina and Gourry pummel down the stairs and seat themselves at one of the tables and gape open-mouthed as the food magically appeared on the table. The food, obviously, was there when they came into the inn. After two seconds of gaping, Lina and Gourry devoured every piece of food in sight. More kept on coming, so they were able to eat a week's worth.  
  
"We are in trouble. And you can't even teleport! Oh, we are dead..." Xellos whispered.  
  
"You always think on the negative side, don't you?"  
  
"It's my job. If I did otherwise, I would've been dead already," Xellos whispered sarcastically. Filia frowned. "I've got an idea."  
  
"Brilliant. Fire away."  
  
"Oh, it's so dreary in here, I wish it would be a little lighter in here..." Xellos started. Filia gagged.  
  
"THAT'S your idea?" Everything started to change. The walls and ceiling became blue, picturing the field of flowers like before. "This is sick..." Lina and Gourry looked around in confusment at the changing landscape. Filia and Xellos took advantage of their confusment and sneak upstairs.  
  
"This place is weird..." Lina muttered.  
  
"Where'd the second door come from?" A second door had appeared in the hallway.  
  
"And the third?"  
  
"Third?" Filia asked, lifting her head from the second door where she was listening for any life. Xellos pointed to the door at the end of the hall. He opened it up to see a small closet with a ladder that led up. High up. Xellos shrugged and started up it.  
  
"Why are you going up there?"  
  
"Well there isn't other place where we're safe, is there?" Filia got his point and followed him, shutting the door behind her. "It's dark."  
  
"Obviously." They went for about five minutes climbed up the ladder, till there was a soft thump.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Ow... my head." Xellos said sarcastically. "I think it's a door."  
  
"Then open it!" Xellos pushed against, sending light pouring down the tower- like room. Xellos let it fall with a soft thump before poking his head into the room. Filia looked up beside him. A girl was at a computer consul pushing buttons.  
  
"They don't seem to like that... how about... TURKEY!! MASHED POTATOES!!! CORN!!! Oooo, they like that! CHICKEN!! These people are easy to please..." On the computer screens around the madwoman, Lina and Gourry showed up, gobbling down the food, every once in a while new food appears, or they get in a fight. Then she stopped, pressed a certain button a few times, and the screens cycle through.  
  
"Cameras?" Xellos muttered in amusement. They watched it cycle through each of the rooms (where they spotted Zel and Amelia :P), the dining room, the hallway, the kitchen.  
  
"Where are they? Where'd they go?" the woman asked herself. She cycled through the cameras again, faster each time. Xellos climbed off the ladder and looked at the madwoman. "Where are those two? Did they leave? No, my sensor would've picked them up! Unless..." She turned her seat around and blinked.  
  
"Why HELLO!!! I see you have STUMBLED across my lab!!" Blink blink.  
  
"Erm...who are you?" Xellos asked. The woman's eyes widened.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," she muttered blushing. "I am MORNING GLORY!!! A magician!!!"  
  
"A magician?" Filia muttered, still on the ladder, leaning on the floor of the room. "She looks more like a librarian. And when did magicians have labs?"  
  
"Were you, by any chance, the one who kept me out of the kitchen?"  
  
"Of COURSE it was me!! I have powers beyond you WILDEST dreams!! And you seem to have less self-control then your friend their, trying to get into MY kitchen!!"  
  
"I don't have much of an appetite," Filia cleared. "Plus you would be pretty hungry if you were in his position." Filia added, pointing to Xellos. Morning Glory's eyes widened in understanding, the clearing up of murky waters.  
  
"Oh." Then a loud buzzing sound came from the machine. Talking also came from it.  
  
"Where's the food? The instant food? Where'd it go?" Lina screamed in the machine. Glory went on working to supply the human vacuums with food. The two smiled greatly with their satisfaction before sucking up the rest of the food.  
  
"Is there any way to get out of here without being discovered?" Xellos asked.  
  
"You mean you want to leave my inn?"  
  
"Yes...erm... we want to know why there isn't any people here."  
  
"You're detectives?"  
  
"Erm..."  
  
"Oh! Use the door." Xellos blinked.  
  
"The front or the one down there?" he asked, pointing down the ladder.  
  
"No, that door!" Glory said, pointing to a hidden door. The two looked that way and shrugged. Filia got off the ladder and followed Xellos to the door. Glory opened it and they got on a platform, a balcony, really. Filia looked over the edge.  
  
"We're fifty feet from the ground, and we can't fly. How are we going o get down without getting killed?"  
  
"Easy. Bottom floor!" Glory chirped. The balcony seemed to drop, but it wasn't moving.  
  
"Aren't we supposed to go down?" Xellos asked, also looking over the edge.  
  
"We ARE going down. I'm... er... afraid of heights. It's a hologram." After about two minutes of an odd dropping sensation, the balcony finally reached ground. The two hopped off, and Glory waved to them. "Bye!!" she said happily. Filia and Xellos waved back and continued on down the street. Soon they came upon a puppy. (:P) He trotted up to Xellos and sniffed him before looking up and wagging his tail. He bent down and scratched behind his ears. Filia shook her head and walked on. When she realized Xellos wasn't following, she turned around. Xellos was still kneeling beside the puppy, but he was on his back and Xellos was rubbing his tummy. Filia shook her head and walked over to them. The puppy looked at her (which involved looking upside-down), with his tongue out, which ended up on his nose. Filia scratched under his chin, so the puppy liked her. Filia wiped the drool off and continued scratching his ear. The puppy seemed to like that and showed it by kicking his back feet hard, scratching Xellos.  
  
"Ow..." The scratch wasn't big, but it did draw blood. It seemed to be deep. Very deep. Xellos quickly tore off the ripped sleeve and wrapped it around the wound. The puppy, realizing that he wasn't being petted anymore. He took off towards the inn, pushed the door open, and walked in.  
  
"Well whaddya know..."  
  
"Stop worrying about the dog!" Xellos snapped, trying to figure out what to do about his scratch.  
  
"Why don't you just heal it."  
  
"You EXPECT me know how to do that???"  
  
"Oh..." Filia muttered. "Well, repeat after me: Oh, blessed and humble hand of God," Filia winced.  
  
"Oh blessed and humble hand of God..."  
  
"Life and breath of Mother Earth..."  
  
"Life and breath of Mother Earth..."  
  
"Come before me and show your great compassion and deliver us: RECOVERY!"  
  
"Come before me and show your great compassion and deliver us: RECOVERY!" Xellos waited. Those words seemed really strange... Xellos slowly removed the sleeve from his wound. "Hey, it worked!!"  
  
"It's supposed to, but it's not very powerful right now, so you may need to practice."  
  
"I hope I don't," Xellos sighed. "Well, we ARE going to investigate this castle, aren't we?" Filia nodded and they both stood up and continued on down the street. (Together :P)  
  
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Cyris: Sorry it took kinda long to get this written. But it's long for your enjoyment! I think I'll take a few days off from writing this one, and hopefully update my other two a bit, jot down my two original stories, an maybe start my original anime that stayed for three years bored into my brain ( :P). Chow! 


	14. Kidnapped

Xellos: What is she doing?  
  
Chibi Cyris: I think she's hyper today. I never knew she could do cartwheels. I thought she was afraid of anything physical.  
  
Cyris: *falls* x_X  
  
Xellos: Who are you?  
  
Chibi Cyris: ...I'm a kid she picked from DayCare.  
  
Xellos: No you aren't, you're her Chibi!!  
  
Chibi Cyris: I don't like being HER Chibi!!  
  
Xellos: Do you know anything about her?  
  
Chibi Cyris: *whistles* A lot. Well, first off, she has a crush on one of her flute buddies-  
  
Cyris: NO I DON'T!!!!! *picks up Chibi and chucks her far, far away*  
  
Xellos: So who do you like?  
  
Cyris: NOBODY!!!  
  
Chibi Xellos: *clings to back of Xellos*  
  
Xellos: What the? Oh, now I got one, too?  
  
Filia: *walks up*  
  
Chibi Filia: *follows Filia*  
  
Xellos: You have one?  
  
Filia: *nods*  
  
Chibi Xellos: *runs up to Chibi Filia*  
  
Chibi Filia: Xellos!!  
  
Chibis Filia + Xellos: *dance around*  
  
Chibi Cyris + Cyris: *sweatdrops* Am I the only sane human here?  
  
Cyris: Wait...I'm the only human... then I guess I would!  
  
Chibi Filia: I love you, Xellos.  
  
Filia: *blush*  
  
Cyris: Well...ahem... that's a bit of deceiving information...  
  
Xellos: *blink, blink*  
  
Cyris: Oh! Hehehehe... hey! Um...Chibi Xellos!! *kneels behind Chibi Xellos*  
  
Chibi Xellos: *breaks from dancing* Yeah?  
  
Chibi Filia: *pouts*  
  
Cyris: Do you know any of Xellos' secrets?  
  
Chibi Xellos: Yeah! I know a lot of them!!  
  
Cyris + Filia: *grins*  
  
Xellos: *gulps*  
  
Cyris: Could you tell us them?  
  
Chibi Xellos: Why?  
  
Cyris: Would you like to see them public humiliation of *jags thumb at Xellos* him?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *grins and nods*  
  
Xellos: *faints*  
  
Filia: Let's say we start!  
  
Half-hour later...  
  
Filia: Favorite color?  
  
Chibi Xellos: Purple.  
  
Chibi + Cyris: Typical.  
  
Filia: I'm out of questions.  
  
Cyris: Som' I. Wait... do you like my story?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *nods head furiously* Yeah! A lot!! *babbles on for five minutes talking about Cyris' story and how good it is*  
  
Cyris: Bubbly, isn't he? *looks at Chibi Filia* How 'bout you? Like my story?  
  
Chibi Filia: *shrugs* Not as much as him. *looks at Chibi Xellos*  
  
Chibi Cyris: Shouldn't he be up by now? *looks at wrist as if watch were there*  
  
Cyris: Wait a second... is that all the truth?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *grins and nods*  
  
Cyris: Can you lie?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *nods*  
  
Cyris: Is there a possibility that you lied to us?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *nods* But I don't lie.  
  
Cyris: *groans* But you twist the truth. So at least half the stuff is true. Maybe even three fourths. But defiantly not entirely.  
  
Claimer: MuHAHAHAHAH!! There WAS a disclaimer (I hate that word), but now, a CLAIMER!!! I OWN the Chibis and their attitudes, so no shoplifting.  
  
Cyris: Oh, yeah, before I forget, I believe that Mazokus can't bleed, regardless of what happens in the show. CapechÃ©?  
  
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"See any way to get up?"  
  
"Nope." Filia sighed.  
  
"Then how are we going to get that Kirina person out of there?"  
  
"Someone could help us."  
  
"Like who?"  
  
"Like those ruffians behind us."  
  
"And THEY know how to get up there?"  
  
"Well, they're the only ones besides us, Glory lady, and Lina and Co. who are here. They could be part of the conspiracy."  
  
"...You've got a point."  
  
"Hey, who's the pretty lady hanging with the wimpy boy?" Xellos whirled around.  
  
"Who are you calling wimpy??" The largest ruffian chuckled.  
  
"You, boy." They were holding guns. Filia and Xellos knew because a bullet was right in their face. One of those net bullets.  
  
"Oh great. This is wonderful."  
  
"And we can't even get out." The two were picked up and hauled over to a large building, probably a hospital.  
  
"Man, this girl's heavy!"  
  
"Shut up!!!"  
  
"Told ya, Fi-chan!!"  
  
"I DON'T have time for you, NAMAGOMI!!!" The ruffians oohed, then burst out laughing. Filia's hand went for her skirt, but the ruffian holding her bounced the net and she almost flipped upside down. "Why you..." She started banging the guy on the head with her heals.  
  
"Ow, hey, stop that, little girl!"  
  
"LITTLE IRL?!?!?" The ruffians herded inside an elevator (the mind boggles, doesn't it?), and started upward for about ten minutes.  
  
"Wow," Xellos muttered. The were carried into a big cavern with lots of holes in the ground. Big, deep ones, with bars across the tops. Looking down, one could see that the sides were polished smooth. The men neared an opened hole and stopped near it, dropping Filia and Xellos on the ground. Filia was bubbling with anger. She darted up and tried to run at the one who carried her, but was grabbed and tied up by someone behind her. So was Xellos. Then they were searched, with Filia first (read on to see why).  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Searching." The checked her boots first, making sure that there were no knives or weapons hidden in them. Then they felt up her legs.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?!?!" she screeched, kicking one in the nose.  
  
"Oi, this one's dangerous..." he murmured, reaching into his pocket to pull out a frilly, lacy, pink handkerchief and started dabbing his nose. Filia stared. Then the leered on Xellos. They grabbed both his ankles and his arms, much to his dislike. Once checked, Xellos' staff was chucked down the hole.  
  
"Oh, yay," he murmured. The were pushed near the hole. "What are they going to do now?" Answer was given.  
  
"I say she's more dangerous."  
  
Thunk.  
  
A club was pulled and hit, it's aim Filia's head. She fell, unconscious, into the hole. Xellos watched in fear (for once) as she fell.  
  
"Oh, no," he whispered.  
  
Thunk.  
  
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Cyris: Hehe, I'm a nasty 'lil girl!!  
  
Chibi Cyris: Yes, yes, we all know.  
  
Cyris: Shut up.  
  
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Xellos' vision swirled.  
  
"Oh..." He felt dizzy and nauseous (if they don't mean the same thing). Dizzy from the fall, and nauseous from... something else. He touched his hand to the back of his head and his question was answered. His hair was matted, drenched with blood. He turned around to see a small pool of it. "I feel worse than if it were donated..." He muttered the healing spell and took off his cape. "Well, lookie here. My clothes are getting in worse and worse condition," Xellos said as he looked at his bloodstained cape. "Can't even fix it." He looked down at his arms. Maybe if he tore off the other sleeve, it wouldn't look so lopsided... He looked over at Filia, whose clothes were also torn, but no blood. She was still unconscious. "Guess she was tired..."  
  
"Tired what?" Filia asked, sitting up. "Ouch... I can't believe I survived. What the? You did?"  
  
"Yeah, lucky me." Filia rubbed the back of her head.  
  
"What are we doing here? Those guys are brutal..." Xellos sighed.  
  
"I know. The REAL question is how do we get out of here?" Xellos floated up, catching the eye of Filia.  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
"Maybe not all magic is resisted." Filia mimicked him, still in a sitting position.  
  
"These walls are smooth...I wonder how they make it that way..."  
  
"I bet there's no tool that could make it this even. Possibly magic..." Filia ran her hand over the wall. Smooth. Even. No dents, no cracks. Perfect. "A lizard couldn't climb this."  
  
"Course not." Great. One of his weapons used against him.  
  
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Cyris: X-tra long!! I did this all in one day!!!! I had a small case of Interest Block and Inspiration Block (don't go waltzing around saying that, they're copyrighted). 


	15. Chibis

Cyris: How did I end up with a Chibi?  
  
Xellos: How could mine spill secrets?  
  
Cyris: Huh?  
  
Xellos: My Chibi spilled secrets!!  
  
Cyris: He did?  
  
Xellos: ??? What?  
  
Chibi Xellos: *grins* Magic is wonderful, isn't it?  
  
Xellos: *applauds* At least I'm safe...  
  
Cyris: I don't get it!! *flips through script* I don't remember me writing anything about... Chibi.. Cyris... WHERE'D THIS COME FROM!?!!?!?!? This isn't my writing!! SOMEONE WROTE IN THE SCRIPT!!!! Who wrote in the script?!?!? Wait.......... XELLOS!!!!! YOU WROTE THIS!!  
  
Xellos: Hunh? I did?  
  
Cyris: You wrote that I had a Chibi in the script!!!  
  
Xellos: I did?  
  
Cyris: YES!!!  
  
Chibi Xellos: *grins* I didn't see him do a thing like that...  
  
Cyris: OF COURSE NOT!!!! YOU'D DEFEND HIM TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!!!  
  
Xellos: *mutters* Not when he blabbed my secrets...  
  
Cyris: He what?  
  
Chibi Xellos: Erase yours and Filia's memory.  
  
Cyris: What?  
  
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"There's no way out. We're stuck here till you die of starvation, then I die of starvation," Filia said, sitting down on one of the various rocks in piles around the room. They had scored the pit, top to bottom, and Xellos wasn't to keen on accepting the fact that they're stuck. The bars at the top of the cell where old, but strong. The tall bars at the bottom, off to the side, were obviously used before the pit was used as a pit. And that's what Xellos was looking at right now. "There's no way out," Filia repeated.  
  
"Seems like it," Xellos confessed, turning away from the bars. Till he spotted something. He turned right around and checked the bar that caught his eye. He felt the bottom of the bar.  
  
"Find something?" Xellos nodded. Down near the bottom of the bar were little niches in the iron. Someone had tried to saw off the bar. He moved his gaze closer to the top, and noticed more nicks in a circle. He walked over to the pile of rocks and started moving them around. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Looking." Sweatdrop.  
  
"I mean looking for what?"  
  
"A knife."  
  
"You mean this one?" Filia asked pulling out an old, rusted knife. Xellos grabbed it and ran over to the bars. With one quick swipe, he cut the bar, and then moved to the top. Once done, Filia jumped in and jerked the bar loose and away. They climbed through and started down the hall. "Where do you think this tunnel leads?"  
  
"I don't know. We'll find out soon... I think."  
  
"Wait!!" The two came to a stop and backed up. "Could you guys help me out?" I pleaded. They stared, wide-eyed, before almost breaking into a fit of giggles. "Hey, what? What's so funny? WHAT!!?!?" I yelled at the near laughing two.  
  
"How did YOU get captured?"  
  
"Call it curiosity," I growled. "NOW GET ME OUTTA HERE!!!"  
  
"Why? You were the one who got yourself in there!" I growled.  
  
"Why you...hmmm..." I walked over and sat on a rock and moaned a silly grieving song. "I will diiiiiieeee, and you will crrrrryyyyy, cause you'll be stuck like that fooorrreeeeeeeeeveeeeeeerrrrrr!! You'll get no meeerrrccy from meeeeeee..." The two blinked.  
  
"Fine!" Xellos said unhappily. "But I don't know how to get you out."  
  
"How did YOU get out?"  
  
"I knocked out one of the bars." Blink, blink.  
  
"Why didn't I think of that?" I murmured as I walked over to the bars and took a firm grip on one of them. I did a quick jerk and the bar slipped out. The two blinked. "I got the strength, but none of the brains," I quietly explained. Then I started off down the hall. The two followed.  
  
"So why did we have to free you?" Xellos asked. I sighed.  
  
"Cuz you wouldn't be able to get out without me. I was snooping around, mapping the place, but I was captured, and they took away the map."  
  
"Wouldn't they confiscate it? I mean, it's a map of their hideout..."  
  
"Of COURSE they would, if they could understand it. I drew it backward with a different language."  
  
"Oh." We continued down the hall.  
  
"Do you know where the map is?"  
  
"I have a vague idea. Is that enough?"  
  
"Great. We're going to captured and thrown again." I ran ahead and turned a corner when...  
  
"Ow! You idiot! Watch we're your going!!" I fell backward into my butt.  
  
"Ow! You should watch where you're go... what the?" I looked up to see a kid catching her balance. And it wasn't just any kid... someone that looked like me! "What the heck are you?" Behind her, there were one of Filia and Xellos, but Filia as dragon and Xellos as demon. "Am... I dreaming?" I asked.  
  
"Wow... they look like us!!" Filia said.  
  
"What are you doing here?" The one like me blinked.  
  
"We ran away. from the cloners," she whispered quickly. "I wanna help you guys escape!"  
  
"Wow! A tour guide!!" Sweatdrop. "Let's go!" My Chibi led the way and the other Chibis walked by their corresponding persons.  
  
"I never knew we were being cloned!" Xellos said.  
  
"You seem like you knew that this was going to happen," Filia countered.  
  
"But I didn't!"  
  
"Then stop acting like it!!"  
  
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Cyris: So THAT'S why you wrote that in there!!  
  
Xellos: Wrote what?  
  
Cyris: Wrote THIS *waves open script at Xellos* in the SCRIPT!!! *waves script in Xellos' face*  
  
Xellos: Well, if I did, you won't be able to catch me!!  
  
Cyris: Catch yo- oh... *grabs Chibi Xellos* BUT HE'LL DIE!!!!!! *Naga laugh*  
  
Xellos: That's ...disturbing...  
  
Cyris: *laughs like Naga again*  
  
Xellos: OKAY, OKAY!!!! I WROTE IN THE STINKEN' STUPID SCRIPT!!!!!!!! JUST STOP IT!!!!!!  
  
Cyris: *laughs again* No.  
  
Chibi Xellos: *passes out* I... think... you... broke... my... *faints*  
  
Cyris: Serves him right.  
  
Chibi Cyris: *pats Chibi Xellos' head* Xellos!! Speak to me!!  
  
Xellos: *laughs*  
  
Cyris: *mumbling to Chibi Cyris* Stop it.  
  
Chibi Cyris: *out loud* Why? 


	16. Escape

After walking for a while down the corridor, the group stopped. In front of them were three doors.  
  
"If you go down this one, you'll be free," my Chibi said simply. The other two blinked.  
  
"Nu-uh!!" Chibi Xellos argued and stormed up to my Chibi. "The one on the right is the way out!!"  
  
"No it isn't!" the other two Chibis said at the same time.  
  
"It's the one on the left!!" Chibi Filia screamed. The three launched into a fluent argument.  
  
"Right!"  
  
"Left!"  
  
"Center!"  
  
"No, it isn't!"  
  
"Yes, it is!!"  
  
"Left!"  
  
"Center!"  
  
"Wrong!"  
  
"Yes, it is!!"  
  
"No, it is!!"  
  
"Yes, it isn't!!"  
  
"No, it isn't!!" The came the betting.  
  
"I'm right! I bet it is!!"  
  
"Two gold to say it isn't!!"  
  
"I bet fifty!!"  
  
"You give me fifty if it's right and I'll give you two if it's left!"  
  
"Oka-wait! That's not fair!!"  
  
"Two or fifty, take your pick!!"  
  
"Fifty's too much!!"  
  
"Two's not enough!!  
  
"Thirty five?"  
  
"That's too much!!"  
  
"That's not enough!!" "I don't have thirty-five!!" The arguing continued.  
  
"That's enough!!" I yelled.  
  
"Aww, c'mon, break up the fun so quickly?"  
  
"Okay, Filias, you go your way, Xellos's, you go your way, and I'll go my way."  
  
"We can't do that!" I turned toward the two.  
  
"Why not?" They glared at me.  
  
"YOU should know, for it's you're fault," Xellos said angrily. I blinked.  
  
"Oh! Oh, I remember! That IS a problem now, isn't it?" I laughed. The two frowned. I pulled out a small whistle and blew. There was a puff of blue smoke in front of her and the butler from before appeared. Wearing an apron that said "Kiss the Cook". He blushed before whipping off the apron and hiding it somewhere.  
  
"Er... yes?"  
  
"Rallo, take these two wherever," I said indicating the squabbling Chibis Filia and Xellos.  
  
"But, I'm not good with kids..."  
  
"BUT NUTTUN!!!" I yelled. The three stepped back in surprise, the Chibis unaware by the conversation. Rallo went over and grabbed the rightful Chibis by the scruff of the neck. Chibis Filia and Xellos starting fighting among themselves considering that they were token from their partner (who was now being choked nearly to death). Chibi Filia took out her miniature mace and tried to whack Chibi Xellos upside the head, so their capturer held them at arm's length away from eachother. But then Filia started hitting the closest thing to her: Rallo.  
  
"Told you I couldn't handle kids!!" he yelled desperately at me. I looked up from my Chibi's torture session.  
  
"You don't know how to handle them correctly!! You see, first you grab hold of the back of their neck..." The real Xellos and Filia watched from where they stood, laughing at the correct times. "How about we just go?" The two nodded and headed for opposite elevators. That ticked me off. I pushed them towards the middle one, directed Rallo to the right one and stepped in the left one. We went up. Not a good sign. I wanted to go down.  
  
"Cu-could you let go of me?" I blinked and pried my hands off my Chibi's neck. We weren't in the elevator for very long. The door opened, and we entered a room. The other five were already there.  
  
"Well, whaddya know..." At the front of the room laid a giant pink crystal. Rallo dropped the Chibis (which he was still holding) and walked closer. The Chibis started fighting (physically), but nobody took any notice. The rest were too involved in the gem.  
  
"What's that?" Chibi Xellos asked, giving Chibi Filia a chance to take a swing at him. She missed by a few centimeters, but she caught eye of the jewel and faced it, too. My Chibi followed suit. Then all three fell down. I ran over to them to see that they weren't moving. At all. Not breathing. No sign to show that they were alive. The very energy sucked out of them. I heard a crack. I turned to see that Rallo had touched the crystal, and a huge crack had traveled down the center of it. He turned to the rest of us, with a scared grin on his face. The jewel flashed, and settled. A large piece of ceiling fell down, surprising the 'zokus, who then darted to the elevators with Rallo hot on their trail. I took one last glance at the Chibis before following the other three downstairs.  
  
"WHY did you have to touch it?!?!" Rallo shrugged. Filia sighed and leaned against the side of the elevator.  
  
"I think it's going all the way down this time," I said. The other three nodded. "Pour Chibis," I murmured. We heard other forms of the castle falling down as we continued our journey to the ground.  
  
~  
  
"THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!" Gourry screamed.  
  
~  
  
"We're safe!! Yay!" Rallo exclaimed upon exiting the building that held the elevator to the sky.  
  
"Calm down."  
  
"Howcome the castle is collapsing?" Filia asked no one as she looked at the floating ruins.  
  
"Well, I think that the gem gathered energy for the castle so that's why you couldn't cast any magic," I answered.  
  
"Couldn't they have made a shield for the gem?" Xellos asked.  
  
"Maybe the jewel took the energy for the shield, too. Maybe, if you stay here too long, your energy is drained like the Chibis, and you..."  
  
"Oh. What about Glory?"  
  
"You mean that hyper librarian lady? She must've built a ward or something around her inn so the gem's power couldn't reach her. Also, she operated machines, if that's your real question." Rallo did a few cartwheels before collapsing in a heap.  
  
"So, is the contest over?" Filia asked desperately. "Is it? Please tell me it is!" I smiled.  
  
~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~"~" ~"~"~"~"~"~  
  
Cyris: Kinda depressing... but I think you'll like the outcome of the next chapter!!! I have an idea already down, so never fear; the next chapter will soon be here!! 


	17. More ships and Contest signup forms

Filia leaned against the crate, releived to be back in her own race. She twirled her mace happily, humming a tune that came too easily to her.  
  
"Soo... did you have fun?" Filia was apparently startled by my voice.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked.  
  
"Well, you DO need the prize, don't you?" I guess I forgot to mention where we were. We were at a dock... A very familiar dock... Yes, THAT dock. Xellos was sitting on the same crate that Filia was leaning against.  
  
"Oh, we still get the prize," Filia mused. "So what is it?" I grinned.  
  
"A free cruise." Filia gaped at me.  
  
"A.. cruise? A FREE CRUISE??! We already went on a cruise!!" I grinned bigger.  
  
"I know!! But it wasn't free, was it?" Filia grumbled something. "What was that?"  
  
"None of your business," she muttered. I looked up to the purple-haird Mazoku sitting on the crate behind us. His closed-eye gaze was on the boat that was being loaded. I wasn't quite sure what he was looking at, but whatever it was caught his eye for a long time. I decided to look for what he was looking at. I quickly looked over the ship and over the harbor. My line of vision landed on four people.  
  
"Gourry, the sky DOES NOT fall."  
  
"But I saw it!! Pieces of storm clouds were falling," Gourry argued.  
  
"It DOESN'T fall. Get it through your head, Jellyfish brains."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"NO ARGUMENTS!!!"  
  
I sighed at the quartet, or at least the duo leading it. They would have more questions that needed if they found the two inhumans lounging around. Seconds later, Xellos appearantly found what he was looking for.  
  
"Oooh.." he cooed and started torwards the ship.  
  
"Where's he going?" Filia asked. I thought for a few seconds.  
  
"I think I put a flyer on the ship..." I mused. Filia glared at me, obviously taking it the way I wanted her too. She stormed over to the ship and up to Xellos, who had a quill in hand and was writing something down on a piece of paper tacked onto the ship. Filia, steaming mad, looked over the Mazoku's shoulder. Her eyes widened at what she saw.  
  
GREATEST CONTEST OF THE CENTURY!!! Hosted by KIRINA  
  
Join the contest!! Have a companion!! WIN THE GLORIOUS PRIZE!!!!!! All you have to do is sign your's and your companion's name below. (Demons and Dragons only.)  
  
Filia's gaze drifted downward to the list of contestants. She started giggling. Very soon her giggles turned into laughter. Full-time laughter. Xellos smiled at his obvious victory in making the Golden Dragon laugh. The quill was hovering just above the paper.  
  
DRAGON DEMON Ceiphied Shabranigdo  
  
"Oh.. my.. gosh.. Xellos!!" Filia gasped. The Mazoku shrugged.  
  
"What? It might happen!!"  
  
~  
  
I am sooooo sorry that I haven't updated in, like, a millenia. Like I said in that note, I did delete the last seven or so chapters. I originally intended for there only to be one task, but you guys didn't really want me to end.  
  
Filia: At LEAST there's no more tasks we have to sit through.  
  
Cyris: I'll have the epilogue out soon. Hopefully tomorrow.  
  
Xellos: Epilogue?  
  
Cyris: Yeah, it's like a-  
  
Xellos: I KNOW what it is, but why do you want an epilogue?  
  
Cyris: *grins mischeviously* Oh, you'll find out...  
  
Filia+Xellos: *gulps* 


	18. Epilogue

Cyris: *does stupid dance* Dadadada da DA; Dadadada da DA!!

  


Filia: I can't believe you.

  


Cyris: Dadadada da DA; Dadadada da DA!! Where's Xellos?

  


Filia: Running away from you in hopes of not being overly emabarresed by you.

  


Cyris: Aww.. Poor Xellie! Should we send him a puppy to make him feel better? Like the puppy in chapter 13?

  


Filia: *sweatdrops* I don't think he'll like that...

  


A/N: Make sure you read previous chapter!!!

  


EPILOGUE: BEGIN!!! (I'm tired of little squiggles -- ~~~~~~ )

  


Filia was laying on the roof of the cabins on the ship, gazing at the sunset. The sun just finished disappearing from sight, and it left the sky a beautiful combination of blues and purples. Filia sighed, the almost silent noise carried away by the breeze. Her thoughts turned to earlier that day, right after Xellos made the little joke on the contest sheet. 

  


The "Four Reasons Why Xellos Shouldn't've Turned Into A Dragon" found the two nonhumans and asked what they were doing. The question was mostly directed to Xellos, who answered the usual. Then Amelia had to stand up and ask, "Ms. Filia? Why are you hanging around Mr. Xellos when you clam you dislike him?" That question hit hard enough to send the Namagomi away. Lucky for him he could easily say his line and not be worried about. But he seemingly didn't want to because he teleported away. 

  


Filia answered by saying that she was on vacation and found Xellos. It wasn't her fault that they met up. Well, there's one way to tell the truth without telling what really happened. 

  


Now, Xellos is who-knows-were, Lina and gang are downstairs, wiping out the ship's food supply, and Filia was on the roof, daydreaming. Or nightdreaming. 

  


Filia sighed and thought about the last couple of days. They were probably the weirdest ones she'll have in her life, and Filia truly didn't want to let them go. No matter what she may tell other people, Filia would hold onto those. Maybe for just a little laugh sometimes, for example, when Xellos started being dependent on solid food. Filia giggled a bit, remembering how the ex-ex-Mazoku looked when he ate like a starved man. 

  


Her thoughts then wondered to how it was like. Emotionally, that is. Thinking back, Filia realized that being a demon wasn't that much different from being a dragon. What was on her mind was an emotionless creature with no feeling for anything else but itself and its superiers. But she was completely wrong. Mazoku did have feelings, but they probably were trained to push any feelings aside and ignore them; not let them get in the way of their job. If it weren't the fact that Maxoku were on the side of evil and Ryuuzoku decided to protect people, the two races would be very identical, almost the same. Except for maybe the fact that Mazoku feed off of emotional energy and Ryuuzoku have dragon forms. 

  


"Hello, Fi-chan." Filia jumped at the voice. 

  


"Xellos! What are you doing here?" Filia turned to see the genky priest himself. "Wait, don't even answer that. I know exactly what your going to say."

  


"Oh, and when has our little heavyweight lizard become physcic?"

  


"Xellos!!" The demon chuckled.

  


"Just kidding." Filia hesitated and blinked. Wha? Just kidding? she thought. "Truthfully, why I'm here doesn't have to be a secret." Filia cocked an eye.

  


"Oh, really? And everything else has to be?"

  


"Exactly!!" Filia sighed. 

  


"So, you mind sharing why you're here?"

  


"Not at all." His startling answer made Filia blink again. 

  


"So are you going to?"

  


"Nope!" Filia sighed again.

  


"I should've known." Xellos leaned forward and whispered into her ear: "Some things are best left unsaid."

  


"So I guess this is just one of those things?" Filia whispered back, smiling.

  


"Right, Lizard. But you'll know soon enough why I'm here."

  


"Here on the boat, or here on the roof? With me?" she added as an afterthought, and blushing because of it.

  


"Here on the roof. With you," Xellos answered. He looked over and Filia next to him. "Those past few days sure were exciting, weren't they?" he asked.

  


"In short, yeah." Xellos put his arm around Filia's shoulders, startling her and making her gasp. 

  


"Learning about eachother's own races and all." Filia leaned against Xellos's shoulder, replying with a quiet, "Mmm-hmm.." Xellos took a deap breath. 

  


"Filia, I..." he started. 

  


"Hai, Namagomi?" Filia asked, looking up at him. The demon fell silent. "Have something to say?" Xellos bit his lip.

  


"Yes, I do."

  


"Mind sharing?"

  


"Not at all."

  


"So...?" Xellos looked down at the dragon cuddling up to him. He leaned down and gently placed his lips on hers. Filia, as if knowing this would happen, instantly deepened the kiss. Well, she couldn't say this was her first kiss, but it was her first _true_ kiss.

  


_La End_

  


~~

  


Cyris: *sighs romantically* Well, there it is. The end of the story. Today is June 8, 2003. I started this fic September 5, 2002. That's 276 days. Wow. More than it needed to be. Well, it's about time I got off the couch, into the chair in front of my computer, and modify this story. About time. 

  


See ya till next time!


End file.
